Scroff
by Lil Sweet Thing
Summary: Sinbad and his crew return to the Port of Scroff. As Firouz spends some quality time with Velda, he discovers his feelings for her are much deeper than he cares to admit. Meanwhile, Bryn is struggling to make sense of her own relationship with her Captain. Firouz/Velda and Sinbad/Bryn
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone! This follows after my last story, "Isle of Rissa". I am bringing the crew back to SCROFF. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Firouz and Velda on screen. I've decided to keep her alive through one of my stories. Of course, I am throwing in some Sinbad and Bryn moments as well. Enjoy! I hope you like it...**_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

The Nomad was only a day away from docking into the Port of Scroff. Sinbad could tell his crew was eager to reach land. They've been at sea longer than he anticipated due to a storm that he chose to avoid. He knew his friend and physician, Firouz, was probably the most anxious out of all of them to reach their destination. Throughout the week he watched Firouz keep himself busy throughout his ship, from what he guess, to have the sense of time flying by. In doing so, he would often immerse himself with an invention, a game of chess or a scientific book below deck while off duty.

It was now dusk when the Captain set foot onto his deck. At this time, he knew Firouz was on the tiller, with Doubar soon to follow after his shift. As he went to stand next to Firouz he noticed Bryn and Anders were talking amongst themselves in front of them at the bow of the ship. From where he stood he could also see Rongar seated on a crate sharpening one of his blades.

"Hi, Sinbad", Firouz greeted his captain cheerfully.

"Hi, Firouz," Sinbad replied. "How are you doing?"

Firouz smiled with a nod of his head, "I am doing great! It's smooth sailing tonight".

"We should be in Scroff by late tomorrow afternoon", Sinbad explained, "I apologize for the delay. I know you are looking forward to seeing Velda".

"Don't apologize! You chose a better route for the ship and crew's safety", Firouz replied quickly. "I've waited only a couple months to see Velda. What are a few more days?"

Sinbad smiled at his friend's attitude. He knew he was just being nonchalant as always, but deep down he sensed that Firouz was feeling a little antsy to reach Scroff. He knew he would be if someone he cared for was waiting for him there. "I appreciate your patience". He smiled again as he watched Firouz shrug his shoulders easily. He looked up at the clear sky. "Hopefully, we will get more nights like this while in port".

"Perhaps those storm clouds passed over Scroff during our detour", Firouz contemplated out loud, "Hopefully it missed the city all together".

"That is my hope as well", Sinbad replied.

xxxx

Bryn was leaning over the rail with Anders standing next to her. She glanced at him and noticed his brow was knitted in thought as he studied her features. "What is it?"

"I'm on to you", Anders replied. He looked out towards the ocean.

"What do you mean?" Bryn appeared confused. She had no idea what he was talking about.

Anders looked over his shoulder before he spoke, "Sinbad is on deck". He watched Bryn appear uninterested.

"Yes, he does do that often", Bryn replied a little confused by the change of subject. This time it was her turn to study his features. She wondered what was going on in his mind.

Ander laughed softly at her quick wit. "I know you're avoiding him. Ever since we left Kingsley, something has been off with you two. What's going on? Want to talk about it?"

"I'm not avoiding him", Bryn answered quickly. One look at Anders and she could tell that he didn't believe that. "Okay, maybe a little". She sighed heavily. She was unsure of what else to say. She looked out towards the water.

Anders stepped a little closer to Bryn to whisper, "Remember when you told me that your door is always open to talk? It goes both ways". He heard footsteps approaching and saw that Sinbad was heading their way. "Better yet, maybe he's the best person to talk to", he whispered before quickly leaving her side.

Bryn glanced over her shoulder and saw Sinbad was just behind her. She watched Anders quickly retreat below deck. Bryn looked at Sinbad again and gave him a welcoming smile.

"Was it something you said?" Sinbad commented as he too watch Anders quickly walk away. He looked back towards Bryn.

"I am unsure", Bryn replied with a shrug. She looked back up at Sinbad and was at lost for words. Anders was right, she was avoiding him purposely. She wondered if Sinbad noticed it as well. She decided that he must have. They've been back on ship for a little over a week and have rarely spoken since Kingsley; at least, not alone. She's been pretty successful at dodging his company. This time though, not so much. They stood in awkward silence trying to figure out what each other were thinking.

Sinbad gave a small chuckle at the situation with a shake of his head and decided to just go for it. He moved in quickly, placed a hand on her side and kissed her. He knew he surprised her when he felt her jump. He was please to feel her hand rest on his arm for balance. Even more pleased to feel her kiss him back. He was prepared for her to not welcome it in the first place considering their week. He broke off the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, "Thank you, I needed that", he whispered.

Bryn was still at lost for words. All she could think about was that she needed that too. She realized it's been a long time since that's happened. She took a step back feeling a little flushed, realizing they weren't the only ones up on deck. The crew was kind enough to turn away from them. "Sinbad, I know I've been..."

"Distant?" He finished for her.

Bryn nodded her head, "Yes".

With a hand still on her side, he stood next to her near the rail and spoke quietly. "Talk to me, Bryn. I can tell something is bothering you".

"Sinbad, I…" Bryn tried to find the right words.

"I am starting to believe you are avoiding me", Sinbad quickly added a little hurt.

Bryn sighed. There's that word again. She saw deep concern in his eyes. Just when she was about to speak,Strock ran up on deck and called out Sinbad's name.

Sinbad reluctantly turned away from Bryn to see what the matter was. "What is it?"

Strock pointed below deck, "There's a leak in the brig. It's pretty bad".

Sinbad saw Rongar stand up from the corner of his eye to help out. He knew he should go down there as well. "See if there is a way to patch it up. I will be right there". Strock nodded his head and ran back below deck. Sinbad turned to Bryn and looked at her apologetically. He watched her nod her head in understanding. "We'll finish this conversation when I am done?" It was more like a hopeful question than a statement. He was really disappointed that they were interrupted.

"Okay", Bryn replied quietly. It made him feel better when she said, "I will wait for you in my quarters, unless, you guys need my help now?"

Sinbad dismissed that last statement with a wave of his hand, "No, we should be fine. Hopefully it's not as bad as Strock says". He left her quickly with a smile. "I'll see you later".

Bryn sighed as she watch him run below deck. She on the other hand was glad for the interruption. She decided she should talk to him but more privately. The wind picked up and blew a strand of her hair in her face. When she turned her head to let it fly back into its place, she saw that Firouz was still up at the tiller. She went to go keep him company.

xxxx

When Sinbad got into the brig, he saw Doubar and Rongar were busily trying to locate the origin of the leak. They were standing in an inch or two of water. Anders and Strock were in the process of throwing the accumulated water out the open porthole.

"Sinbad, there is no entry on the floor. I don't know where the water is coming from", Doubar explained to his brother.

Doubar and Sinbad both looked at Rongar after he got their attention. They heard him knock at a near wall and pointed at the room at the other side of it. He seemed to think the water was coming from the hold. Sinbad nodded his head in understanding and went to the next room, which contained their supplies.

Rongar was right. The water was coming from this room, their barrels to be exact. Sinbad was relieved to see it wasn't his ship that was broken. He knew barrels break often from plenty of use in time. This was to happen evidently.

"At least we will be in Scroff tomorrow to replenish our water", Doubar spoke positively. "We'll need to purchase additional barrels as well".

"You're right", Sinbad answered. "Let's get this cleaned up", he pointed at the top deck above him, "You need to relieve Firouz though. We can take it from here".

"Aye, Captain", Doubar had no problem with that order. He was happy to leave the cleanup job for someone else.

xxxx

When Doubar went to go relieve Firouz from his shift on the tiller, he was pleased to see Bryn was there as well. Lately, he felt she's been keeping herself in her quarters while at sea. He greeted them both with a wave.

"Doubar, how are things in the brig? There was a leak?" Firouz asked as he handed the tiller off to his friend.

"A couple of our barrels broke in the hold. There is no leak on the ship, it was our drinking water flowing from the other room", he explained to the both of them. "It won't be a problem soon. We'll be in Scroff tomorrow to reload on the supply".

"Do they need my help?" Firouz asked.

"No, you should get some grub and rest", Doubar advised. "Sinbad, Rongar, Strock and Anders are seeing to it".

"Sounds like they have plenty of help", Bryn agreed. "With little space".

"Very well", Firouz replied, "I'm going to get some food than". He looked at Bryn, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I am all set". She replied with a smile. She appreciated the thought.

"Good. Have a good night than you two!" Firouz walked away and whistled his way below deck to the galley.

Doubar smiled at Bryn, "He sure is in a good mood".

"I wonder why", Bryn replied sarcastically with a smile. With a hand holding on to one of the lines, she leaned her back against the tall wooden mast next to the tiller.

Doubar found a comfortable stance to hold the tiller and took a deep breath of the sea air. He then let out a heavy sigh. Bryn smiled at his loud presence.

"It's good to see you up on deck at this time of the night", Doubar commented. "It seems we haven't seen much of you these past evenings".

"Tonight, I was in need of more fresh air, I suppose", Bryn replied. She looked above her and saw Dermott rested on one of the high beams. She thought about how much Dermott pushed her to get out of her cabin earlier.

"The other nights you were in need of solitude?" Doubar asked. He didn't give her time to really answer. "You okay, Bryn? Some of the crew was beginning to wonder if you were catching something".

"Yes, I'm fine", Bryn answered. In her mind she told herself that she would be. She was touched by the concern of her fellow crewman. She didn't realize they all noticed her lack of presence. "I didn't mean to worry all of you. I just needed…space". _Time to think_, she thought.

Doubar nodded his head in understanding. "We all could use a little of that. Especially while at sea". He wanted to say something else but decided to hold his tongue. He didn't want to meddle into his brother's business. He looked at her and thought, _screw it_, "Everything okay with you and Sinbad?"

Bryn looked at Doubar questioningly; she didn't give him a strong answer, but an honest one. It wasn't in her nature to lie. "I hope so".

Doubar was happy with that answer. He realized she didn't intend to say anything else when she took a step away from the mast. What surprised him was when she took a step closer towards his direction.

"Good night, Doubar", She said to him quietly before she planted a soft kiss onto his left cheek.

He nodded his head at her and could only smile. He watched her turn away and walk towards the hatch that would lead her below deck. Before she went below, she looked up as if she was talking to Dermott. He followed her gaze and saw that Dermott stayed put. "It looks like he doesn't want to come to bed", Doubar called out to her.

"He knows my porthole is always open", she replied with a shrug. "He will come in when he is ready".

"Good night, lass", Doubar wave at her, "Get some rest".


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

After assisting with cleaning up the brig, Sinbad saw that his crew was just starting to settle down for the evening. A couple of his men were still in the galley finishing up a mug of what little ale they had left on the ship. As he walked by he could hear them laughing among themselves. Most of his crew was already behind closed doors. He stood in front of Bryn's door and took a couple breaths before knocking. He was unsure of how this conversation would go. He lightly knocked.

"Come in".

Sinbad cleared his throat and slowly opened the door. "How are you do…", he stopped midsentence. When he walked in, he didn't expect to see Anders in that room as well; standing next to Bryn.

Anders stepped forward and stopped the door from closing with a reach of his hand. "Hey, Sinbad", he greeted him. "I was just leaving". He glanced at Bryn and back at his Captain. "You two have a good night!" With that he quickly stepped out and shut the door behind him. Sinbad and Bryn could hear his retreating footsteps outside her wooden door.

"I see he didn't make it very far when he said he was retiring for the evening", Sinbad contemplated out loud. He took a glance at Bryn and watched her shrug.

"I am starting to think he talks just as much as Firouz", She replied with a small smile.

"At least Firouz doesn't scurry away every time I come near. It's happened twice tonight", Sinbad said with two fingers held up. He looked at Bryn quizzically wondering what that was all about.

Bryn was unsure of what to say, "He really was just leaving." She felt she needed to point that out. She decided to quickly change the subject. "Please, Sinbad, sit anywhere you like". She really only had two options to give him; her bed and a wooden chair next to her small desk. She watched Sinbad take a seat at the edge of her bed. She pulled out her chair and sat with an elbow rested on the desk, facing him.

They both started to speak at the same time. Sinbad gestured for her to go first. "We both need to be honest with each other and ourselves", she began. "If not, I don't think…this", she gestured between the two of them with a forceful hand, "…will work".

Sinbad felt a little taken back by what she just said. "This has been bothering you all week? You don't think I am being honest with you?"

"Sinbad, I.."

"I've never lied to you, Bryn", Sinbad said softly. He hoped that she believed him. He sat there and wondered what brought up that type of conclusion. He didn't have to wonder for too long.

"I know about Marie", Bryn quickly stated. "That's why you never showed up that night in the lobby. You were with her." She watched him nod his head in agreement as he looked down onto the floor. For a moment he seemed to be lost in the thought. Bryn continued to speak, "I know you have a bit of a history with her and it is obvious you enjoy her company. " She paused when he finally brought his eyes up to her. "If you want to be with her or anyone else, just…just don't string me along is all I ask." She finished with a breath. It was her turn to look at the floor. _I don't think I can handle it. _She silently thought to herself.

Sinbad took that all in and stood up. He gave a heavy sigh and placed his hands on his waist as he started to pace in the small room. Bryn looked up at him and watched him walk back and then forth. She could tell he was in deep thought by the look on his face. Sinbad started to shake his head, indicating he disagreed with something. "Bryn, it's not what you think it is. Yes, I was with her that night, but only to simply walk her home." He saw her eyebrow rise in disbelief. He knew what she was thinking. He stopped pacing, bent a knee in front of where she sat and place one of her hands in his. "The rain that night gave her an excuse to try to keep me for the night, but I refused. She wasn't too happy with the explanation of why, so I stayed a longer until she calmed down. She was very upset. I am unsure if she truly understood once I left, to be honest".

Bryn couldn't help but notice the feeling of his warm calloused hands caressing her own as he spoke. As she looked down at their hands together, she didn't realize how small hers were compared to his until now. She made eye contact with him again and asked, "Why? What was your explanation?"

"Because of you", Sinbad smiled at her dumfounded expression. "I care too much about you to just, as you say it, string you along. We may not be able to speak telepathically together like you can with Dermott and the mermaids, but you always come into my mind somehow. I think of no one else. You and I have found this connection that I can't ignore, I've developed this different kind of protectiveness towards you that most Captains don't have with their crew members, I get this feeling of unease whenever another man even looks at you in a way that tells me their interested, which is more than you realize, I should add, and I am dying to do more than just kiss you". He stopped and stood back up in front of her, while taking both of her hands into his to pull her up as well. He pulled her close with an arm around her waist, "Is that honest enough for you?"

Bryn was rendered speechless. The last thing she expected was to get this type of confession. She was wrong to think otherwise. Now he was just smiling down at her. At lost for words, the only thing she could think of to do was kiss him and she did just that; long and deep. He returned it passionately. Between kisses, she spoke to him breathlessly, "I am .. sorry...I shouldn't have doubted you".

Sinbad stopped, placed a hand on her cheek and looked at her tenderly, "You need to learn to trust me in matters such as these". He closed the gap again and kissed her lips one more time before taking a step back. He wasn't lying about wanting to do more than just kiss her. If he didn't stop, he was sure to have little control of his actions. He felt he needed the extra space between them at that moment. "A while back I promised you that I will make you see that I didn't want anyone else. I am sorry that I have not done a very good job".

Bryn shook her head, "You're right. I need to trust you and set aside my own jealousy", she admitted.

"You? Jealous?" Sinbad smiled down at her. He adored the look of guilt she had on her face as she looked at him while nodding her head.

xxxx

The streets of Scroff were full of townspeople bustling about their typical day, Velda observed. She stood outside her clinic in the center of town, wiping the sweat off her brow. Behind her, within the walls of her clinic was a group of four smiling faces welcoming a new member into their family. After three long hours, Velda just finished delivering a baby girl. After she did all she could do for the new mother and child, she stepped outside to give the anxious family the good news and to get some air. Looking within the streets, she thought she recognized a familiar face. _Could that really be? It is. _"FIROUZ!"She hollered with a wave. He didn't seem to have heard her. She ran down the steps of her porch and called his name again. She got his attention and saw a smile creep up on his face.

Firouz couldn't help it, he ran to her the rest of the short distance. "VELDA!" He pulled her into a tight hug. "How are you?" He pulled away and still held on to her as he looked into her eyes. He didn't give her chance to speak. "You look absolutely exhausted… beautiful, but exhausted".

Velda shyly looking down and wished she did look a little more presentable. "It seems you always catch me at this state. I've had a busy day working", she gave him a smile and patted his arm. "I am alright". She looked over his shoulder and realized Firouz's Captain and crew have caught up to them. She took a step back to welcome them. "Captain Sinbad, it is so good to see you! " She glanced at the crew, "Doubar, Rongar and Bryn! Welcome back to Scroff!" She noticed a face she didn't recognize and nodded her head at him in greeting. "Hello".

"Velda, this is Anders. A new member of the crew", Firouz quickly introduced her.

Anders took a hold of her hand and kisses it, "Pleasure to meet you, Velda. I have heard wonderful things about you. You are as beautiful as Firouz has described".

Velda blushed at the compliment, "Thank you, Anders." She quickly looked at Firouz, "Have you just arrived?"

"Yes, just now", Firouz explained.

"Scroff seems to have picked itself back up since the last time we came." Doubar observed. The last time they were there, a plague was on everyone's doorstop, which was introduced to them by their city protector; a crooked soldier with a goal to win over the city. Sinbad and his crew helped bring out the truth to save the city from his devilish hands.

Velda nodded her head, "Yes! Everything is so different now since I last saw all of you. Everything is back in order. Scroff is whole again." She looked back at her clinic remembering she still had a patient in bed, "Oh my, I need to get back to work."

"We didn't mean to disrupt you. We will catch up with you later". Firouz replied, "Maybe we should get our accommodations settled now". He looked at Sinbad. "We will be in the city for a while, I believe".

Sinbad knew what he was asking, "Yes. I have some business to take care of with your mayor and we could all use the break".

Velda smiled, "In that case, all of you should stay with me for as long as you need!"

Firouz shook her head, "No, no, no…Velda, there are too much of us. Please don't feel obligated to…"

She interrupted him with a gentle hand on his arm. "I have plenty of room! Firouz, I have been granted a bigger home as a thank you for saving the city. If a couple of your friends don't mind sharing, I can fit you all. You will be impressed; I even have a room for my lab!" She looked at Captain Sinbad, "I insist that all of you stay. Save your well-earned coin for somewhere else."

"It is settled than", Sinbad replied with a broad smile, "Thank you, Velda".

"Give me an hour and I will take you there", Velda replied with a smile. "Oh! I am so happy you are all here in the city!" She said out loud mainly to herself as she turned back towards her clinic.

"Come on, Firouz, let's go find the nearest tavern as we wait", Doubar placed an arm over his friend's shoulder.

Firouz was watching Velda walk away, "What? Oh! Right, that's a good idea".

Sinbad, Rongar and Bryn exchanged laughs as they watched their besotted physician walk away from the clinic and Velda.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Please review! I would love to hear your feedback on this story. Enjoy! More to unfold soon...**_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

"Remember, Helena, I will be stopping by your home first thing tomorrow morning to check on you." Velda was walking her patient towards a wagon that was parked just outside the clinic. "Make sure you stay in bed these first few days. Child birth takes a toll out of women." She held on to the baby as Helena's husband assisted his wife into the wagon. "You take good care of these two, Ivan." Velda smiled at the couple. Once they got settled she placed the baby back in her mother's arms.

"Thank you, Velda! We will see you tomorrow." Ivan nodded his head as he started to instruct his horse to go forward with a click of his tongue.

As soon as they left, Velda quickly walked to her clinic to prepare for closing. She was in a hurry to meet up with Firouz and his friends. Once she saw that everything was in its right place she walked onto her porch to lock the door. Once the task was complete, she turned towards the street and was startled by a man standing right behind her. She pressed a hand to her chest and regained composure. She recognize the man standing in front of her. She recalled the last time this man visited her; it was not pleasant. "Mr. Lawrence, can I help you?"

"NO!" He looked at Velda, disgusted that she even asked. He gave her no other response.

Velda figured so and sighed. She didn't have time for this. "Well, step aside now because you are in my way". She realized she no longer had the patience or the manners for this man.

Mr. Lawrence stepped aside without saying a word and watched her walk past him.

xxxx

The crew were standing around a table in the tavern, all finishing up a round of drinks. Firouz downed his first. "I am going to see if Velda is ready. It's been an hour."

"Firouz", Bryn stopped him, "She is already here." She tilted her head towards the entrance. Everyone looked in that same direction. Velda spotted them and waved as she walked towards them.

"It seems she knew exactly where to find us", Doubar laughed.

Velda made her way next to Firouz and spoke to the table, "I am sorry if I kept you waiting for too long". She smiled at the crew.

"It was not long at all!" Firouz replied cheerfully. He placed an arm around her shoulder. "Since you are here, did you want a drink?"

"I have wine at home to share if you are all ready to go?" Velda replied. She saw them nod their heads. "Follow me than!"

xxxx

After giving Sinbad and his crew a quick tour of her home, Velda laid out seven glasses on her kitchen counter to pour red wine into. "Please, make yourselves at home here." She called out to the crew, who were settling into her living room. She was happy she had plenty of furnishings for them to sit and gather about. From the corner of her eye she saw that Bryn was looking out her tall double paned window. "Bryn, is Dermott out there?"

"Yes, it seems he's settled onto a branch. He's just returned from hunting". She replied. "He likes to stay near."

"That window slides open if you wish for him to come in anytime. I only ask that we keep it closed while we are all abed. There is a window in the room you will be staying in that you can keep open. Since it is on the second floor, I am less worried about intruders coming in that way". Velda approached Bryn with a glass of wine to offer her.

"Thank you." Bryn smiled. She meant it for both wine and appreciation for Dermott's welcome into her home.

Firouz was helping Velda pass out the wine as he spoke, "Have you had reason to be concerned about intruders, Velda?"

"I have not had that happen to me, but a neighbor down the road has had trouble. I just figure, one could never be too careful". Velda replied. "Anders, would you care for some wine?"

"Yes, please", Anders stood and accepted her offer. "You have a beautiful home here, Velda".

"Thank you. I know it seems large for one person. When it was offered to me, I had to take it. It would have been rude of me to decline." She explained. "It seems to work out well, especially when friends like yourselves come into town". She looked at Firouz, "You and the crew are always welcome here".

"Maybe one day you will fill this home with a family, children perhaps", Doubar stated.

"Oh Doubar, I need to find myself a husband first!" she laughed at the idea.

Firouz looked at Doubar and had a feeling his friend was not done talking. He made eye contact with him and saw humor in his eyes. He was willing him to not say it.

"Perhaps little Firouz's and little Velda's will be running around this couch in the near future", Doubar continued with a laugh.

Firouz laughed nervously along with everyone else. He saw a blush creep up onto her face. He opted to change the subject, "Velda, I'd like to see more of your lab".

"Of course!" Velda picked up her glass of wine and gestured towards a hallway. "Come with me". Firouz immediately followed. While doing so, he gave Doubar a look of annoyance.

Sinbad waited for those two to leave the room before scolding his brother. "Doubar…"

"I know, I know." Doubar quickly replied before Sinbad could finish. "I will behave and not embarrass Firouz".

"I think it's adorable how nervous he gets around her. It's cute". Bryn replied before taking a sip of her wine. She saw Rongar nod his head in agreement.

"Has he always been shy around ladies?" Anders asked. Rongar nodded his head again. "He seems to be more comfortable around Velda".

"They have history. They used to work together at some point before he became a member of my crew." Sinbad explained.

"Was he infatuated with her then?" Anders asked.

"I believe so", Sinbad replied with a smile. He took a gulp of his wine.

xxxx

"Velda, you have some advanced instruments here! You don't usually see this type of collection outside of Baghdad." Firouz was amazed as he explored her lab.

Velda followed closely behind him as she pointed out her key tools. "It was a gracious gift. The mayor was quite appreciative of the help I've offered...we offered." She corrected herself. "It wasn't just me who saved the city." She gave him a big smile. "Speaking of which, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" Firouz repeated.

Velda left his side and opened a closet. She pulled out a canvas bag and handed it to him. "Open it."

Firouz looked at the beautiful red head in front him. He never expected a gift. She smiled at him coaxing him to go on. He peered into the bag and saw similar instruments that she had on display. "Velda, don't you need these?"

"No! They are extra. I have saved them for you to have." She quickly replied, "I thought you would appreciate it as much as I have. I hope have room on the ship".

"Yes, I have room." Firouz smiled. He placed the bag down on the table and took a hold of her hand in his. "Thank you", he said softly. He noticed that she took a step closer to him. He placed his arm around her waist to hug her.

"You are very welcome, Firouz", Velda replied in his embrace. She turned her head to look at him and immediately felt butterflies in her stomach. She was wondering if he would kiss her. She wanted him too. _Maybe if I stood a little closer, he would. _

Firouz cleared his throat and let go of her. He brought his attention back to the bag. "I could really use this. I believe during my travels some of my instruments have been damaged from ware, broken or lost. A few have held their ground. The ones that are most valuable, I have been very careful with."

xxxx

Bryn woke in the middle of the night. She sat up from the bed and let her eyes adjust to the room. It took her a moment to remember that she wasn't in her cabin within The Nomad. She glanced at the open window and did not see Dermott resting near there or in the room, where she expected him to be. Chilled by the cool air coming in, she hugged herself after she stood up. She stepped closer to the window to look out in hopes to see her falcon. He was nowhere near. _That's odd._ She decided to try and call out to him telepathically, but he didn't answer. Movement caught her eye. She looked down and saw a human figure crouched down near the window below her, peering into the house. _Maybe Velda needed to worry about intruders after all. _She grabbed a spare robe that Velda provided and wrapped it around herself and quickly slipped on her shoes. Before heading out the door she grabbed her sword.

As she slowly descended the stares, she looked towards the window the man was peering into. She didn't see him. She went out the front door. She walked around the house slowly with her back against the wall, careful to not make a sound. Once she reached the side of where her window was; there was no one to be seen. She continued to walk around the house and scope the area. _He's gone. _

_ "_What are you doing?" A voice whispered.

Bryn turned quickly at the sound. She he lowered her sword when she saw that it was only Sinbad. He was standing just outside the front door with his arms crossed in front of him. "I saw a man out here lurking". She whispered. She aimed to put her sword back into its sheath but realized she didn't have her belt on. "He was peering through the window downstairs just below mine."

Sinbad walked up to her. "So you come out here with your sword?"

"Would you have preferred me to come out empty handed?" She asked quietly, surprised by the question.

"No, I would have preferred you to come get me or Doubar...Rongar", Sinbad whispered back. He looked around them and saw no one. "I am glad I came down. Do you think he is still out here?"

Bryn shook her head, "No. He's gone". She sighed. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already awake when I heard your door open". Sinbad replied. "Your room is right next to mine and Doubar's. I was expecting to find you in the kitchen getting water, but not outside in your robe and sword in hand." He smiled at the image of her.

"I must look silly, don't I?" She looked down at her appearance. "You couldn't sleep?" She looked up at him and noticed his hair was a mess from lying down. She felt the need to reach up and touch it, which turned into caressing his cheek for a brief moment.

Silly was not the word he would've chosen. "I fell asleep only for some time but woke up in the middle of the night", Sinbad replied. He took a hold of her outreached hand and guided it to his lips to kiss. "Come on, let's get you back inside. You look chilled."

As they entered the house, Sinbad took one last glance outside to see if anyone was really out there before closing the door. Bryn was right, the person must have left. "Did Dermott see this person?" He whispered.

"I don't know. Dermott flew off somewhere during the night. I can't reach him." Bryn answered. She looked worried. "I will ask him when I can."

They both slowly climbed the stairs to the second floor and stopped outside Bryn's room. Bryn turned and looked at Sinbad, "Should I tell Velda about this?" She whispered.

"Let's wait. She seems to already be cautious about the chance of intruders. I will let the crew know to keep an eye out for now." Sinbad placed a hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her good night. He couldn't help but linger. His kiss become longer than he intended. After a few moments, he felt Bryn's lips form into a smile. "What is it?"

Bryn was debating on whether or not she should do it. _How could I not? _With her free hand she reached behind her and felt for the doorknob. She turned it and her door clicked open. She then brought her hand to his shirt and held onto it as she commenced walking backwards to enter her room. She smiled at his surprised expression.

Sinbad laughed quietly at her playfulness and found himself pushing the door closed behind them. He winced when he heard the door shut louder than he had hoped for.

Bryn laughed, "Shhh!" She said as she placed her sword against the wall. She felt Sinbad place his hands on her waist as she draped her arms around his neck. "I was trying to be discreet, you know?"

At that moment, her sword lost its balance behind them and fell over, clanging loudly onto the wooden floor. Sinbad felt her jump in his arms. "You're not doing a very good job". Sinbad smiled down at her. He saw laughter in her eyes.

Bryn tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his. She felt Sinbad's smile and felt his arms tighten around her. He kissed her firmly and she felt his warm breath on her lips as he spoke. "You have no idea what you are doing to me, Bryn." He whispered.

"Stay with me? Show me?" Bryn whispered back innocently. She let her fingers entwine with his messed up hair.

Sinbad smiled and shook his head. She also had no idea what she was asking. "You tempt me, but not tonight." He whispered with his hands cupping her face. There was nothing else he would have rather done, but felt it would be inappropriate as a guest in a friend's home. He thought, if they were on The Nomad, his answer may have been different.

Bryn nodded her head in understanding. She gave him one more kiss before separating herself from him. She kicked off her shoes and started to untie her robe. From where he stood, he could see her silhouette from the moonlight shining in. Even her shadow was beautiful.

"Maybe…I can stay…for only a little while." Sinbad slowly said as he reached for her again.

xxxx

Sinbad woke up to the smell of baked bread. He thought it smelled delicious. He looked to the left of him. Doubar's small bed was empty. _I should have known he would be up before me._ He could hear voices coming from downstairs. The rest of his crew was already up as well. He sat up and made his way to the washroom just outside their room.

xxxx

"Sinbad must be up. I hear him walking up there." Velda exclaimed from the kitchen. "Just in time too! Breakfast is ready everyone!"

Doubar, Rongar and Anders were first to sit down at the dining table and were eying the sausages that Firouz placed in front of them. Bryn was helping in the kitchen by placing fresh bread onto a serving platter while Velda transferred scrambled eggs into a deep wooden bowl.

"This looks amazing, Velda." Doubar said out loud. "You're a fine hostess".

"I couldn't have done it without your help. I wasn't stocked for company." Velda replied, "You and Rongar seemed to have had luck at the market this morning. There must not have been anything else left!" She laughed.

"He is well aware of our appetites". Firouz added. He pulled out a chair for Bryn to sit and did the same for Velda.

"Good morning!" Sinbad entered the dining room.

"Sinbad! Come and take a seat." Velda welcomed him. "Perfect timing. We are just about to start. I trust you slept well?"

Sinbad nodded his head, "Yes. Thank you again for letting us stay." He looked at the table full of food. "You didn't have to go to the trouble of…"

"Please! I wanted to. I rarely have company and the fact that it's Firouz and you guys, makes it even more special." Velda interrupted him. "Now sit and eat!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sinbad smiled. He took the empty seat next to Rongar. He took a quick glance around the table and he saw that his crew seemed all well. Especially, Firouz. He's cheerful mood hasn't changed since they arrived into port. He can't seem to stop smiling. He heard Bryn's laughter and saw that her attention was onto Anders, who seemed to have over filled his plate. Some of the food from his plate found its way onto the table. Leaving a mess in front of him.

Velda's eyes widen. "Your crew does have big appetites, Firouz".

"I am sorry! The eggs stuck together as I tried to pour some onto my plate." Anders quickly explained. He held his plate over Bryn's and started to scrape some onto hers. "Here take some."

"I don't want that much!" Bryn stopped him. The table erupted with laughter.

"Sinbad." Velda got his attention. "You mentioned you needed to speak with the city mayor yesterday. Will you be transporting any goods for him?"

"Last we spoke, he has asked me to stop by the next time I was in port. Whether it's a business or a social call, I am unsure." Sinbad answered. "I hope it to be both."

"New business is most usually good business", Doubar added. _Most of the time. _"I will go with you, Sinbad." His younger brother nodded in acceptance of the company.

"May you get what you hope for." Velda smiled. She turned to the scientist next to her, "Firouz, if you're free. Would you like to accompany me to a house call I need to do for a patient this morning?"

Firouz nodded his head, "I would be happy to join you. Anything I could help with?"

"We will be visiting Helena, the patient I was with yesterday. She just had a baby girl." Velda replied. "It should be a quick check up." She looked at the crew. "All of you should feel free to come and go here as you please. I have placed an extra key near the back door under a red pot earlier this morning." She watched everyone nod their heads in understanding.

A knock at the door interrupted them. "Who could that be?" Velda asked out loud and stood up to greet the visitor. As she walked to her front door, she could hear the crew chatting between bites behind her. She peeked out a side window at the entrance, but didn't see anybody. She looked to the ground and saw a large rock out of place in the middle of her stone walk way. Underneath that rock was a piece of folded paper.

"What do you got there, Velda?" Firouz watched her return to the dining room with a piece of paper in her hand. She looking at it.

"A letter." Velda looked up at her guest. "A rather strange one." She took her seat next to Firouz and commenced to read it out loud. "**Go away. Your work is not needed here**. **Leave Scroff."** She looked up puzzled. "My work? Leave?"

"Who is it from?" Firouz looked over her shoulder. He didn't like the sound of the message.

"It's not signed." Velda place it down on to the table and sighed. She appeared distressed and worried. Why would any one want her to leave?

The crew all exchanged wary glances.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello to anyone who is reading this story. My apologizes for the wait on the next chapter. Life has been CRAZY for me this month! I have been writing but didn't want to submit anything too short. MORE TO COME SOON...I hope you like this chapter. Feedback and thoughts are much appreciated! **_

**D****ISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

Firouz was walking with Velda to Helena's home after breakfast. He had an arm over her shoulder. Velda looked up at him and wondered what he was thinking. She could tell he was thinking heavily about something. After awhile, they walked in silence. She wasn't used to his silence.

"Firouz, do share what is on your mind." Velda gently instructed. "Is everything okay?"

Firouz looked down at her and smiled, "I am sorry. I was in my own world." He squeezed her shoulder with his draped arm. "I was thinking about that note and wondering who and why someone would not want your services in Scroff." He saw her nod her head in understanding. "Do you have any idea who would feel that way?"

Velda sighed and stopped walking. She turned to face Firouz. "I do have an inkling. A man named Todd Lawrence."

"Who's Todd?" Firouz asked.

"A couple months ago his wife came to me for help. She was five months pregnant and ill. I gave her medicine to help with her symptoms." Velda paused and shook her head recollecting the memory. "The medicine helped for some time." She sighed heavily as she thought of the events that happened afterwards. She was unsure of what went wrong.

"What happened?" Firouz gently urged her to continue.

"Mrs. Lawrence went into labor a week later. The baby was premature and he didn't survive." She explained with an exasperated wave of her hand. "Mr. Lawrence blames me for that death. He says it was the medicine that I gave her that killed his son. He hasn't been pleasant with me since." She looked back up at Firouz and shrugged.

Firouz nodded his head in understanding and put his arm around her waist. They continued to walk. "What are your thoughts about that?"

"It wasn't me." Velda replied confidently. "The medicine I gave her would not have affected that baby. It's been administered before with other mothers many times. Not by just me, but other physicians."

"Did you use Raspberry Leaf?" Firouz asked. "Ginger root?"

"Red Raspberry Leaf," Velda replied specifically with a point of her finger.

"You're right, that shouldn't have affected the baby." Firouz agreed. "When was the last time you saw this Todd Lawrence?"

"Just yesterday", Velda replied. "Yesterday was the first time in a few weeks since I last saw him, which could well have been a month." She directed him to turn right with her hand. "Helen's house is just down this road. We are almost there."

"Did he say anything?" Firouz continued. "Anything to say he was unhappy? Anything to upset you?"

"Oh! He didn't have to say anything last night to tell me he is unhappy. He hasn't kept his feelings about me a secret since the tragedy that happened to his family. I know very well that he doesn't trust me as a physician." She replied. "Yesterday, he didn't say much of anything. He was just there lurking around my clinic." She saw the look of worry on Firouz's face and was touched by his concern. "He didn't want my help. I have no idea why he was even around. After that encounter, I found you and your crew."

xxxx

Sinbad and Doubar were waiting in the foyer of Burrell's home, the city protector. They were not alone. They were surrounded by his staff going in and out of the room with arms full of flowers, vases, decorations and even crates of fruit. They could see a door leading to the back garden and a door leading to the kitchen, propped open for their ease to come and go.

"It looks like they are preparing for a party." Doubar stated to his brother.

Sinbad nodded his head in agreement as one of Burrell's personal maids smiled at him as she walked by. He kindly smiled back at her. He returned his gaze back to his brother, who gave him a look of disapproval. "What?"

"SINBAD! DOUBAR!" The brothers were interrupted by a booming voice from the top of the landing. Burrell was just descending the stairs with arms open to greet them. "Welcome!" He smiled. "I am sorry for the wait. Things have been a little hectic here as you can see." He reached out and shook both of their hands vigorously. "Come into my office. It will be quieter."

"You are looking well, Burrell, as same as your city, I may add." Sinbad commented as he and Doubar followed the city protector into his lavish office.

Burrell gestured for them to have a seat. "I am pleased to hear that, about the city of course." He laughed. "The city of Scroff has come a long way. This community is slowly coming back together." He gestured outside his door with a raised hand. "I am putting together an annual summer's festival to celebrate, all starting at my home and further within the town center."

Doubar nudged Sinbad with an elbow, "Looks like we came during the right time."

"Yes!" Burrell agreed. "I hope you brought the rest of your crew with you as well. It would be a shame to not have them around for the fun. Come to think of it, this may not be possible without your help." He pointed a finger at them. "You all must come!"

"I wouldn't get very far without them." Sinbad smiled. "I thank you for the invitation and will inform my crew."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. A maid with flushed cheeks, for the intrusion,held up a letter. "Begging my pardon, sir, a messenger just dropped this off. It's from Baghdad." She quickly walked towards Burrell and placed it into his outreached hand. Sinbad noticed it was the same maid that smiled at him in the foyer. She chose not to make eye contact with either of them. The men watched her as she made her leave.

"I was waiting for this." Burrell stated as he quickly scanned the letter. Once he read the confirmation he was looking for, he looked up at Sinbad. "I know you have just arrived, but I would like to talk business with you for a moment."

Sinbad and Doubar exchanged knowing looks, "What can we do for you, Burrell?" Sinbad gestured for him to continue.

"I wonder, is Baghdad a common port of call for you?" He asked. "If so, when do you expect to be back there?"

Doubar nodded his head, "We are scheduled to be there in a couple months. Right, Sinbad?"

Sinbad nodded his head, "By the first of August. Is there anything you need us to ship there?"

"It is more like the other way around. I trust no one else to do this." Burrell replied.

"You want shipment delivered here?" Doubar questioned, a little confused.

Burrell responded with a shake of his head. "No, I have a nephew in Baghdad that needs to go to Carthage." He continued to explain before they could refuse. "My sister, the boy's mother, is nervous of him traveling alone. I told her that I would help with the arrangements for safe passage."

"That is where we come in?" Doubar added. Burrell nodded his head.

"Why is this boy needed in Carthage?" Sinbad asked.

"My sister believes it will help him grow into a man." Burrell replied. "He needs to be with his father at his age. The boy is fifteen."

"Why doesn't his father take care of these arrangements?" Doubar was curious. He realized he spoke before he thought, "I don't mean to pry."

"I'd be asking the same question." Burrell answered. He leaned back in his chair and folding his hands in front of him. "My sister had a child outside of marriage. The boy's father and she do not see eye to eye anymore. It's seems the only thing they agree on is matters that involve their son. She asked for my help and now I am asking for yours." His final glance landed on Sinbad. "Will you take on this sort of service? I would feel very comfortable if it was your ship that my nephew was on."

xxxx

"I am so glad Helena reminded me of the party Burrell is having at his home tonight! I was so excited to see you that it slipped my mind. I hope your crew would have some interest to come." Velda exclaimed. She and Firouz were walking back towards the main street. They just said their goodbyes to her happy and healthy patient. The mother and baby were doing well, just as she expected.

"I have no doubt that they would." Firouz answered. "It will be nice to mingle with the people of this city. "

"With Sinbad and Doubar seeing Burrell today, I am sure they will get an invitation. Burrell feels indebted to you guys." Velda smiled. She patted his arms as she spoke. "It will be a fun time!"

Firouz smiled at her enthusiasm. A thought came to mind. "Do you expect Todd to be there?" Ever since she received that letter this morning, he couldn't seem to stop thinking about it and now of the name of who may have left it.

"He could be there. Do you think I should confront him about that note from this morning?" Velda asked. She knew speaking to that man was the last thing she wanted to do. She could see how concerned Firouz was about it and felt speaking to Todd may ease both of their worries. "I will if you want me to."

"It's probably a good idea. I will be right by you if you need me." Firouz replied as he placed his arm around her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. They continued to walk towards town.

xxxx

Doubar stood and peered over Rongar's shoulder. "What are you cooking, Rongar? It smells good." He and Sinbad just returned from Burrell's home with news of work in their near future. They found Rongar and Anders in the kitchen fixing up a meal for everyone. Rongar stepped aside to let Doubar have a closer look. "Chicken, potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots and cabbage," he listed out loud and nodded his head in approval.

"It was Rongar's idea. We went to the market and I followed him down the food stalls. The price was good so we decided to make a purchase. We figured we'd cook for Velda and everyone." Anders explained. "One vender actually gave us a free extra chicken for buying two."

"That's an excellent idea. It's the least we can do for taking us in." Sinbad stated with a smile. "Good work." He laughed when he saw Rongar lightly smack Doubar's arm to get him to move out of the way. He turned his head has he heard the sound of footsteps and whistling coming from the stairwell.

"Oh! You're back!" It was Firouz who greeted Sinbad and Doubar, as he bounded down the last couple steps. "How was Burrell's?" He approached them and rested a hand on the island.

"It was good to see him. He looked well and we have some work ahead of us." Sinbad answered. He looked at his men and knew the question that was on all of their minds. "We will be picking up our passenger in Baghdad and taking him to Carthage."

"Carthage? We haven't been there in ages." Firouz commented. He looked at his Captain and remembered that was probably deliberate. Carthage was not known to be a welcoming town. He knew Sinbad was never fond of dealing with the guards assigned on its dock. "Did you say passenger?"

"I know, I know!" Sinbad held up his hands in surrender. In the past, he's made it aware to his crew that he wasn't a big fan of bringing along passengers. "I couldn't say no."

"It's to help a boy; Burrell's nephew. We will be picking him up in Baghdad." Doubar explained to everyone.

Ander's looked at his friend's faces. "What's wrong with having a passenger? I didn't think I was any trouble."

"In the past, before you, we've had complications with other passengers." Doubar explained. "Not all, but some."

Anders left it at that with a shrug. He looked at Sinbad, "I am guessing that extra bunk in my cabin will be assigned to this boy."

"Yes", Sinbad answered with a smile and nod. "Make room for him once we get to Bagdad."

"Make room for who?" Bryn walked into the tail end of the conversation. The guys all looked at her at the same time. She smiled at all of them, "Hi". Firouz quickly filled her in on the earlier conversation. She gave a small shrug in understanding."Oh, alright."

"What's that you go there, Bryn?" Doubar nodded at the fabric draped over her arm.

"Velda mentioned a party that we were invited to." She replied, "I just came from The Nomad to pick up a different dress to wear to it. It's nothing fancy." She quickly added.

"Great! You all already know. Burrell mentioned it while we were there." Doubar replied. He looked down at his own attire. "I am just going to wear this." He looked at his brother to get some sort of a confirmation about not changing.

Sinbad smiled, "I am sure what you have on is fine, Doubar." He looked at Bryn, "And I am sure you will look beautiful with whatever you choose to wear as well."

"What about me, Sinbad?" Anders joked. "How's my shirt?"

"**You** need to change." Sinbad fired back with a shake of his head and a laugh. "Do I need to make decisions for _everything_?" The crew laughed as he walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the wait and THANK YOU for your patience! Pleaaase let me know what you think of this chapter! I would love to hear from you. **_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

Sinbad observed that Burrell kept most of the party outside; within his garden. When he and his crew arrived, they were greeted by Burrell's personal servers, carry trays of ale and wine. The place was finely decorated with lanterns and colorful fabrics; which created private large canopies for seating, should any guest prefer to sit down. At each canopy, a table of fruit, cheese, crackers and season meat were displayed. Guest also had the option to dance along to the music of a live band that Burrell hired for the evening. They could see some guest have already opted to do so.

"Don't mind if I do!" Doubar claimed a large canopy for the crew to congregate around and to observe the festivities. As soon as he took a seat, a belly dancer stopped at the front of their canopy to put on a show. Doubar smiled at the performer.

"Bryn, have a seat!" Doubar saw that she was still standing. "Come drink some wine!"

Bryn smiled and shook her head. "I am alright for now." She looked ahead of her. "I am going to take a walk around."

"I will go with you." Velda stood next to her. She too was curious about what else was there.

Bryn nodded her head. She welcomed the company. She made eye contact with Sinbad. "We'll be back soon."

"We'll be here." Sinbad smiled at her. He watched her walk away. Soon the sight of her was blocked from a dancer who aimed to get his attention.

xxxx

Bryn and Velda exchanged smiles as they watched the crew get immersed by the entertainment that was surrounding them. They turned away and walked along side each other. A server with a try of blush wine was in their path. Velda reached up and grabbed two glasses.

"Here! These two had our names on it." Velda handed a glass to Bryn. "Cheers!" They touched their glasses together with a clink and took a sip.

"That's really good." Bryn expressed. It was sweeter than she expected and has never tasted anything like it.

"Burrell has excellent taste." Velda agreed. Her eyes scanned the garden. "He's really outdone himself with this party. I could hardly recognize this place." She made eye contact with a couple familiar faces and smiled at them as they walked by. Velda saw someone's eyes linger on Bryn; curious of whom her friend is. She stopped and decided to make introductions. "Bryn, this is Thayer, Scroff's very skilled blacksmith and bladesmith."

Thayer's eyes lit up at the introduction. He held out a hand. "I am sorry if I was staring. I am not used to seeing women carrying a sword." Thayer explained. "I am sure it is common in other cities, but not Scroff. Bryn is it? That's a beautiful name."

"She travels with Captain Sinbad", Velda pointed out with a smile, as if that was a logical explanation to Bryn's choice of carrying a weapon.

"I've found having a sword comes handy." Bryn added.

Thayor laughed, "I should imagine so." He nodded towards her hip, "May I?"

Bryn understood that he wanted to have a look at her sword. She hesitated at first, but saw that Velda seemed comfortable with it; he is a bladesmith after all. "Sure." She unsheathed her weapon and handed it to him hilt first. She watched Thayer hold up the steel eye level and feel the weight of it on each hand.

"It's a great blade. Has a nice balance and, as its owner, it's quite beautiful." Thayer shared out loud with a grin. "I'm curious of what your captain carries."

"A saber, most of the time." Bryn replied, ignoring the compliment. "We have several blades on board."

"Impressive." Thayer handed her back her sword. He turned to Velda, "You should show your friends my shop tomorrow. I would be very interested in seeing this saber, and to meet Sinbad, of course."

"I will do that, Thayer." Velda replied with a smile.

Thayer looked at Bryn and a thought came to mind. "Do you dance?"

"Me? I am out of practice." Bryn shook her head at the idea.

"Would it be possible to interest you to a dance sometime this evening?" Thayer asked kindly. "I too am out of practice. I am sure between the two of us, we could figure it out." He gave her a broad smile.

"Well, okay." Bryn smiled at his charm.

"You should come find us than! Our friend's manage to snag one of the canopies near the entrance. We'll most likely be there when you are ready." Velda informed him.

"Great! I will come by." He walked off with a wink.

Velda leaned closer to Bryn to whisper, "I believe you've caught his interest." She took another sip of her wine. "He's a really kind man. Maybe you two will hit it off."

"He seems very nice." Bryn replied. "But I am not in the position to…"

"Be in a relationship because you'd be at sea?" Velda interrupted her. "You and Firouz probably share the same views on that. It is typically the life of sailors; I've come to understand that." She sighed. "It must get pretty lonesome out there. I know you have each other, the crew, that is, but to have that intimate connection with someone must be hard to find during your travels. You're really not in a city or town long enough to make that type of connection I assume."

Bryn couldn't help but smile at the woman next to her. _She and Firouz are so perfect for each other._ She had a hard time getting a word in edgewise. She was about to speak but realized Velda wasn't finished.

"Bryn, can I ask you a question? It's about Firouz." Velda glanced at the brunette next to her.

"Sure." Bryn answered curiously. "What is it?"

"Does Firouz ever talk about me during while you're at sea?" Velda asked. "I am just curious."

Bryn smiled at the question and nodded her head. "He often does."

xxxx

Sinbad was seated under the canopy with a plush cushion behind his back. To the left of him sat Rongar, atop the arm rest of a cushioned chair. Rongar got his captain's attention with a single tap to the shoulder. Sinbad looked up at him and was silently signaled to look at Firouz. Sinbad understood what the Moor was concerned about. Their friend appeared troubled.

"Is something wrong, Firouz?" Sinbad asked his friend.

Firouz took his eyes from scanning the crowd, which seemed to have doubled since they first arrived. "I am just looking out for Velda. They have been gone awhile."

"She's with Bryn, I wouldn't be worried." Doubar commented. "Have another glass of ale and enjoy yourself, Firouz!"

Firouz nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. Sinbad didn't want to dismiss his friend's worry too soon. "That letter from this morning has worried you?" He made eye contact with Firouz. He knew the answer before he even asked. It wasn't a message to be taken lightly. "Has she said anything else about it? Recalled who it may have been from throughout the day?"

"She mentioned a name; Todd Lawrence." Firouz explained the event that occurred not too long ago between Velda and the Lawrence's. "He may be here tonight."

"We'll keep an eye out for anyone that may cause any trouble." Sinbad assured his friend. "If he does show up, I am sure Velda will let you know and point him out."

"Thank you." Firouz nodded his head. "She said she wanted to speak with him. I hope to be there when she does, for support."

Sinbad gave him an understanding nod. "They will be back soon, I am sure." He was referring to the girls. He knew once Firouz saw that Velda was alright, he would be able to relax and enjoy the evening a little more with everyone else.

Anders reached for a pear on the table and spoke before he took a bite. "They are women. They are probably just dilly-dallying about. Looking at everything and having girl talk." As he spoke a couple ladies were bold enough to have a seat at their table. Anders gave them both a welcoming smile. "Hello!"

xxxx

"Let's head back!" Velda yelled to Bryn. They were standing closer to the live band; which caused her to raise her voice to be heard. "I would like to show Firouz the surprise Burrell has in store for the city! He will be fascinated"

"Surprise?" Bryn repeated. She followed Velda away from the stage.

Velda smiled. "You'll see!" She seemed to have wanted to keep it a secret. "It's quite a spectacle!"

As they made their way through the crowd, they could see the canopy which sheltered the crew. Bryn smiled at the typical sight in front of her and shook her head. A few women seemed to have made themselves comfortable there as well. Doubar's lap seated a pretty blonde, whom he was sharing a laugh with, while Anders had a couple ladies seated at each side of him. Sinbad stood with his arms crossed, speaking with a brunette, who she assumed, he gave his seat for.

Firouz spotted them and stood up to meet Velda halfway. Bryn walked past the couple and locked eyes with Sinbad. As she approached him, she smiled and took a stance next to him. He uncrossed his arms and placed his hand at the small of her back. "There you are!" Sinbad smiled down at her. "I was starting to believe you two got lost." He joked.

Bryn smiled up at him sweetly and placed a hand on his chest. She surprised him, as she tilted her head up to him to plant a quick kiss on his cheek and even a light kiss on the lips. Rongar and Doubar exchanged amused looks. They saw the disappointment on the brunette's face that was seated on the cushion closest to Sinbad. "We just took our time, that's all." Bryn softy said with a smile. The woman's movement on the couch caught her attention. The stranger stood up, looked at Sinbad and murmured something about needing to go find her friends. She walked past him without making eye contact with anyone else; lightly bumping her shoulder against Bryn's as she walked by.

Bryn looked back up at Sinbad, "She seems friendly." She stated with a hint of sarcasm. "It's good to see you're making new friends." She gave him a pat on the arm as she stepped around him.

Sinbad was speechless at what just happened. This was the first time Bryn's ever exemplified any kind of possessive behavior towards him. His eyes blinked with the realization of how much he liked that. He watched her sidle herself to the empty seat and make herself comfortable as she sat down. She leaned over the table and grabbed a handful of grapes. He knew she was probably feeling pretty proud of herself right now. He looked at his crew around him and saw smirks on all their faces.

xxxx

As Velda took a hold of Firouz's hand to lead him to Burrell's surprise for the evening, she did a doubletake towards the canopy. She stopped during midstride and looked at Firouz. "Is that Bryn kissing Sinbad, just now?"

Firouz looked over at their direction, "Yes, they've become rather close since the last time you saw them."

Velda stared at him gaping, "You should have told me!" She took a glance at them and smiled. "They do make a cute couple."

"I am not really sure what they are. Just as long as Sinbad's happy," Firouz stated with a smile, "The crew is happy." He laughed lightly at his own joke.

Velda kept a hold of his hand and resumed walking, "No wonder she didn't seem very interested in Thayer." She said out loud. A look of confusion was seen on Firouz's face. "Oh! Never mind. Come! I want to show you something!"

Firouz trailed behind her as he was lead through the crowd. He knew she was saying something, but he couldn't quite hear what it was. The music and the people around them muffled her voice. All he could do was return a smile when she turned her head to look at him. She took him around a stone garden wall. He no longer walked on grass, but on a dirt road that was groomed for horses and wagons. "Where are we going?" He felt that they were leaving the party.

"There!" She pointed ahead of them.

Firouz saw the distinct glow of lit torches. He counted three men. They stood next to a covered wagon. To make their presence known, Velda called out to them as they walked closer. He saw one of them wave.

"Velda, what brings you out here?" The man closest to them asked. "Who's your friend?"

"Mark, this is my good friend, Firouz." Velda made introductions. "His ship sailed into port just yesterday. He is a scientist, like myself, and I wanted to show him Burrell's illuminations."

"Illuminations?" Firouz repeated. He folded his arms in front of him and placed a finger under his chin as he took a moment to think. "firecrackers?" Mark and Velda both nodded their heads. "I have only come across those once. I purchase some from a vender in Basra and was able to shoot some into the sky while at sea." It's really amazing! It could be dangerous if not handled properly."

"That's why Burrell hired these two fire masters to light them up." Mark pointed at the other men near them. "I am just here to make sure they don't get into any trouble." He said more quietly.

Velda couldn't contain her excitement. "I have never seen them before! When will they light them up?"

"Not too long from now." Mark replied. "Burrell was just here to make sure we are all set. He left, wanting to watch from the garden to witness his guest's reaction."

"Where would you like to see them, Velda?" Firouz turned to her smiling face. He couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked standing there under the moonlight.

"Let's go back to the garden." She replied. She took a hold of his hand again. "Unless you would like to assist with firing them up? I am sure these men wouldn't mind."

Firouz shook his head, "No. I'd rather watch them with you."

xxxx

By the time Firouz and Velda made it back to the canopy, Velda saw that Thayer has already sought them out. He was sitting amongst them, most likely discussing and comparing steel with the crew.

The rest of the evening progressed with live music, drinking, dancing, laughing and games. Sinbad and his crew were clapping and laughing as they observed Thayer feigning defeat after a game of swords with Rongar. He dramatically fell on the ground with a mock blow to his side. A group of gatherers, who were enjoying the show as well, dissipated as Rongar held out a hand to pull Thayer back up onto his feet.

Thayer gave Rongar a slap on the back as they made their way back towards the canopy. "You are one strong man, Rongar!" He saw Rongar smile and nod his head in amusement. "I could learn a lot from you."

"If it makes you feel any better, you lasted longer than most!" Sinbad added. "You are pretty good with a sword."

"Thank you, but I think I should just stick to making them." Thayer replied with a smile. He turned to Bryn. "I promise you, my dancing is far better than my skills in swordsmanship." He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

Bryn smiled and place her hand in his. "We shall!" She was lead towards the live music and was surprised when Thayer stopped and pulled her towards him. The pace of the music slowed down. He took her right hand and held it up as he guided her left hand onto his shoulder. With a hand on her hip, he started to move to the music, leading her even closer to the stage.

Bryn looked over Thayer's shoulder and smiled when she saw Firouz felt inclined to dance as well. Velda looked very pleased. She gave a small laugh when she saw Firouz twirl her around in a little circle before pulling her towards him.

"What is it that is amusing you, Bryn?" Thayer couldn't help but notice her laugh as they danced.

"Oh, it's Firouz." Bryn turned her eyes to him," I rarely see him dance. It's good to see him have some fun, especially with Velda."

"From what I am hearing, it seems dancing is a rarity amongst your crew." Thayer commented. "You seem to be doing a fine job, I may add. You haven't stepped on me yet."

Bryn laughed, "Don't speak too soon."

xxxx

Doubar sat next to Sinbad and handed him a fresh mug of ale. He followed his brother's gaze and smiled. He was watching Bryn. "Thayer seems like a nice man, pretty handy with a sword too."

Sinbad took a gulp of his ale before responding. "He has a good attitude. Rongar did not go easy on him. He is the type of person who would be welcomed on The Nomad."

From where they sat they could hear Bryn laughing at something Thayer said. Doubar laughed. "Would you really want him on the crew?" He grinned with a tilt of his head at Bryn and Thayer's direction. "_Someone_ might be a little distracted."

Sinbad laughed at his brother's implication. "I am not worried about that…I trust her."

Doubar raised his eyebrows at that statement. "So, you're telling me, you're not a bit jealous at seeing our Bryn wrapped up in someone else's arms right now?"

Sinbad shrugged nonchalantly, "It's just a dance, Doubar." He smiled at his brother's expression. "Don't worry, I am fine!" He shook his head and took another gulp of his ale. Ahead of them he saw their host for the evening making his way to them.

"I see you and your crew have made it!" Burrell nodded his head at them. "Welcome! I hope you're all having a good time. " Burrell chose to rest his legs and take a seat next to them.

xxxx

Velda rested her head on Firouz's shoulder as they danced. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She loved being near him. The thought of him boarding that ship again anytime soon caused her to frown. She didn't let that thought linger and decided she needed to make the best of the time they had together. She wondered what Firouz was thinking or how he even felt. There is something different between them that she's noticed since the last time he left. She lifted up her head and her eyes rested on his. "Firouz, I have a question."

"What is it, Velda?" Firouz asked her softly.

"While you are at sea, do you ever think about me?" She quietly asked.

Firouz stopped dancing and continued to just hold her as they stood still. "Yes, I miss you, if that is what you are really asking. During quiet nights and quiet days, I often have a moment and find myself wondering how you are. I wonder what you are doing. I wonder if you're immersed in an invention or experiment, as I often am during my down time on the ship."

Velda smiled, "I've caught myself with similar thoughts about you." She smoothed down his shirt on his chest as she spoke. "I also wonder if you are alright. I worry. I know you guys get yourselves in interesting predicaments during your travels. I've heard stories. I tell myself you are all right. Thankfully, as much as you guys get yourselves into trouble, you know how to get yourselves out of any dangerous situation that arises. I…" She saw amusement on his face. "I am sorry. I am babbling."

"It's ok." He stopped to think. "We most likely find ourselves helping other people, which are how we get into those interesting predicaments. I wouldn't call it 'trouble', as you say." Firouz tried to clarify.

"That is not what I meant. I misspoke. It came out wrong." Velda apologize. "What I meant…"

"I understand, Velda." Firouz caressed her back and continued to move slowly to the music. "You shouldn't worry about me. The crew, we all got each other's backs."

"I know." Velda smiled. "I can't help it. I care about you too much!" She said quickly. Her words surprised her as much as it did Firouz.

Firouz smiled down at her and realized he cared very much for her as well. He didn't know what to say, but he knew what he wanted to do. He bent his head down to hers and leaned in to kiss her, silently hoping that she wouldn't back away. When he she didn't disappoint him, he broke off from the kiss and looked at her. They both exchanged giddy laughter and shy smiles. He kissed her again, just as they heard the first loud crackle of Burrell's surprise.

Velda was startled and couldn't help but jump in his arms. She looked up towards the bright flares. "Oh! Firouz! Look!" She smiled back at him. "It's so beautiful!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Finally was able to add to this story. Sorry about the wait. It is a long weekend for most of us in the U.S. I hope everyone had a good well deserved break from work. I sure needed it! **_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

The skies above thundered and shined. Everyone at the party, including the band, stopped what they were doing and stared up at the display of firecrackers exploding above them. At first, the guest were all startled and weary of what was happening, but soon became captivated by the show of colors and bright lights.

Next to Sinbad, Burrell stood up and clapped his hands at the show, adding to the loud noise. He hollered at his guest excitedly and commenced making his rounds; enthusiastic to witness their reactions.

Sinbad, Doubar and Rongar exchanged smiles at the excitement. Sinbad glanced around him and noticed that Anders disappeared from their vicinity. He realized the women he was with were not near as well. He shook his head at an idea. _I do not want to know. _He just hoped he wasn't getting himself into any trouble.

He took a glance at the area closer to the stage and saw that Bryn was still there with Thayer. They were no longer dancing, but standing apart with their heads tilted back to look up at the burst of flares. Bryn must have sensed that someone was looking at her because at that moment she turned her head and made eye contact with him. She gave him a wide smile and pointed up into the sky. She mouthed the word 'amazing' to him and he nodded his head in agreement and gave her a wink. He looked back up as he heard the flares erupt louder, it was if they were multiplying. He felt that they could be easily described as deafening. He could feel the explosions right to his core.

The show lasted a few minutes longer. As soon as it was over the crowd clapped, cheered and the band continued to play with revived energy. Some people continued to dance. Bryn and Thayer, on the other hand made their way back towards the canopy.

Sinbad could hear Bryn laughing as they got closer. Her smile was contagious; he couldn't help but smile at her as she stood next to him. He also couldn't help but place an arm around her waist. He saw that Thayer noticed and was glad. Maybe Doubar knew him better than he thought. "What's so funny?"

"Thayer was just teasing me about being jumpy when we first heard the flares." Bryn replied. "I let him know that I wasn't the only one. He nearly ducked." Sinbad and Thayer shared a laugh at the picture.

"That was impressive!" Doubar spoke to the small group. "I was not expecting that."

"I don't think anyone was." Sinbad replied. "I aimed for my sword when I first heard it."

"Don't feel foolish. I saw Rongar move his hand towards his own blade." Doubar laughed as Rongar shrugged.

"Where's Anders? Did he miss out?" Bryn squinted through the crowd trying to place him.

"I don't think anyone could have missed out. All of Scroff probably saw it." Thayer answered. He also looked towards the crowd and saw a friend. "Excuse me, there's someone I need to be speak with." He left them with a smile.

xxxx

Anders realized he was being pulled towards the docks after leaving Burrell's garden. He watched the woman ahead of him smiling as she laughed. She had a grasp on one of his hands as she started to walk faster. "Where are you taking me?" He couldn't help but ask. One moment he found himself on the dance floor with this woman and was pleasantly surprised when she started kissing him. The next moment, she was pulling him away from the garden just as firecrackers started to explode over their heads. Before she answered, he realized he didn't even know her name or remember it if she informed him earlier. _How much did I have to drink? _He shook his head with the idea of maybe more than he intended.

The woman laughed giddily and tugged at his arm, "To your ship! Come on!"

Anders stopped walking and shook his head at that suggestion, "No no no…" His sudden stop caused her to frown at him. "We can't go there"

"We won't be a bother. Your captain and crew are all at the party." She tried to convince him. "It will be fine."

Anders gave her a sidelong glance. She had no idea what she was talking about for he knew that some of his crew still opted to stay on their ship to sleep in their own cabins while in port. He was about to explain that to her when he heard a loud crash. He turned his head towards where it came from. It sounded like glass breaking. "Did you hear that?"

She nodded her head. "It came from the clinic I think."

Anders saw that she was right. From where they stood, they could see candlelight through the clinic's window, the broken one to be exact. Someone was in there. Anders knew he had to do something. "Ahh…Celia, go back and get Velda and Firouz." He knew Sinbad and the crew would follow. "Something's not right."

"It's Amelia!" She corrected him a little hurt. "What are you going to do?

"I am going to the clinic and see what's going on." He replied. "Now hurry, _Amelia_!" He watched her run off and quickly turned to go to the clinic himself.

As Anders approached the clinic, he could see why the intruder needed to break the window; to reach an arm through to unlock the door. The door was ajar as he stepped closer. He lightly pushed it open and thanked the gods that it didn't creak. He wasn't familiar with the building and was thankful for the moonlight shining through the windows to help guide his way. From what he could see, Velda's desk was disheveled. He didn't believe that she would leave it in that state. Books and papers were strewn across the floor. A medicine cabinet was open. Glass vials and bottles have been knocked over during someone's rush to find something. He stood still as he heard the creak of wooden floorboards above him. _He's still here, _he gathered. A small hallway lead to the bottom of a staircase. He peered up and could see candlelight bouncing off the walls; a shadowed figure among it. He managed to creep midway up the stairs before eyes landed on him. A man with a heavy beard held the candle up in front of him and remained still when he saw Anders. He remained still for only a moment. The man turned and bolted and Anders ran for him.

"Stop right there!" Anders called out as he lunged forward. He managed to tackle the man and himself down onto to the floorboards. The man struggled beneath him and turned his body around to send a heavy kick onto Ander's right shoulder. He groaned loudly and grabbed his shoulder in pain as the man stood up to run off. "Damn it!" Anders yelled as he laid his head on the floor in defeat.

Just as his pain on his shoulder started to subside, he felt warmth above his head. He looked up behind him and saw flames at the base of curtain. With eyes wide, he stood up and saw that it started from the candle the bearded man was carrying. It must have been thrown towards the window during the struggle. _Oh no! This isn't good._

xxxx

Sinbad and his crew made their way quickly to the clinic in hopes to find Anders. They stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw the flames coming from an upstairs window.

Velda gaped at what was in front of her and turned to Firouz, "My clinic!" She turned and started to make a run towards it but was stopped by hands grabbing her waist.

"No! Stay here!" Firouz yelled. He felt her struggle against him.

"Anders is still in there!" Bryn exclaimed.

Doubar and Rongar ran towards the nearest source of water; a wooden drinking trough for horses. Sinbad quickly stopped Bryn from running towards the clinic herself with a hand held out. "Bryn, stay with Velda! We'll get him." She nodded her head and looked at Velda. Worry was all over her face. Sinbad looked at Firouz and the physician nodded his head in understanding as well. Velda would be in good hands.

xxxx

They were lucky. The fire did not spread. The flames remained on the curtains and the window it shielded. Sinbad found his newest crewmember using his shirt to try and distinguish the flames. The fire was soon gone with the help of his crew carry buckets of water from the trough outside.

Firouz walked around the clinic with Velda to see what was missing. He could imagine how violated she must feel and it unsettled him to see her so upset. She shook her head when he asked her if anything was missing. It was late and he knew she must have been worn out from the evening's party. He suggested that they all head home and come back in the morning when the sun is up.

xxxx

"How is she?" Sinbad asked Firouz as he watched him enter Velda's living room. The crew was gathered around discussing the turn of events. First there was the letter from the morning and now the intrusion at her clinic.

Firouz sighed and shook his head. "She's exhausted. She says she is fine, but I don't believe it. I could tell this shook her."

"Don't worry, Firouz. We'll get to the bottom of this." Doubar gave his friend a pat on the back as he sat down on the couch.

"I wish I stopped him. I can't believe I let him get away." Anders expressed and looked at Firouz. He pounded the arm rest near him in frustration with a heavy fist. "I am sorry."

Firouz shook his head, "Don't be. If it wasn't for you being around, we would never have even gotten a glimpse of this guy and the fire could very well have engulfed the whole clinic."

"That was probably my fault. The man held a candle when I saw him and when he tried to run away I knocked him down, which caused him to drop the candle, and that caused the curtains to ignite in the first place." Anders pointed out with a heavy sigh.

Bryn was standing behind him and reached over the couch to squeeze his shoulder. "Don't give yourself such a hard time, Anders. That was out of your control. You did the right thing by trying to stop him."

"She's right." Sinbad agreed. "You did nothing wrong." He was going to ask what he was doing outside the garden in the first place, but realized it was irrelevant. Judging by the fact that one of the ladies Anders was with earlier sought them out, gave him a bit of a hint of the answer to his question. He turned to the crew. "Let's get some rest and talk about this more tomorrow."

"Rongar and I are going to board up that broken window first thing." Firouz informed them as he stood up. "If you don't see us here, we'll be there."

The crew nodded their heads and all retired to their rooms to rest. All having thoughts of the evening on their minds.


	7. Chapter 7

_**To anyone who is ready this. Anyone at all...I must apologize. These chapters are not as a long as I would like them to be. I try to fit room to write and I don't want to keep any who is reading waiting for too long. I hope you are pleased with this addition. More to come soon. **_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

Bryn was lying on her side when Dermott flew into the open window. She heard his claws scratch onto wood as he landed. She greeted him with a smile. "_There you are. I was wondering where you flew off to."_

Dermott blinked as he found a comfortable resting spot on the back of the chair he landed on. "_I hope you didn't stay up for me."_

_ "I couldn't sleep." _She replied. "_How are you?"_

"_I am well now that the sky stopped exploding. I thought I was going to go blind." _Dermott replied with a huff of his feathered chest. "_I soon calmed down realizing I've seen them before; when Firouz threw fireworks off The Nomad while at sea. I remembered not enjoying them then either."_

Amused by his irritation, Bryn managed to keep a straight face. "_I loved it. It was beautiful and exciting." _She decided to change the subject. "_How was the rest of your evening?"_

_"I was perched on The Sea Maiden for some time." _Dermott responded with another blink.

_ "The Sea Maiden?" _Bryn sat up curious of where this was going. "_Go on_."

"_A schooner docked not too far from The Nomad. That is where Ander's bearded man ran off to_. _I followed him_." Dermott replied. Proud of himself; a small chirp came from his beak. "_I will take you there tomorrow if you wish."_

_ "Yes. Maybe I can ask around town and see if anyone is familiar with The Sea Maiden." _Bryn laid her head back down onto her pillow. "_Good work, Dermott."_

xxxx

The next morning Bryn sought Sinbad out at the clinic. She thought it would be best that she mention Dermott's finding. As she stepped up onto the wooden porch she saw that Sinbad and Rongar were almost finished with boarding up the broken window.

"Good morning guys!" Bryn smiled at Sinbad and Rongar. "That doesn't look too bad." She leaned her back against the porch rail, facing them and crossed her arms.

Rongar nodded his head at her and returned her smile welcomingly. As Sinbad greeted her, he gave a nail that was placed between his fingers a couple final hits with a hammer; satisfied that it was secure. "Good morning, Bryn." He glanced at her and noticed how the morning sun lightened her brown hair. She wore it down today and it fell softly onto her bare shoulders. He had the urge to reach out touch it, but he didn't. "It looks like something is on your mind."

He knew her well. She shared what Dermott told her last night and expressed that she wanted to go have a look and ask around town.

"Give me a couple minutes and I will go with you." Sinbad stated. "I am going to speak with Firouz for a moment." He handed the hammer off to Rongar and made his way into the clinic.

Bryn looked at Rongar, "Is Velda in there? No one was at the house when I woke." He answered her question with a nod of his head. "Where are Doubar and Anders?" Rongar pointed towards the direction of town and shook his head. He wasn't really sure. "I was hoping to find Anders here to come with me so he could see if he recognizes the man from last night." She explained. "Sinbad will just have to do." She said with a smiled. Rongar only shrugged and nodded his head at her option.

Sinbad rejoined them and turned to Rongar. "We'll be back soon. If not here, see you at the house." Rongar nodded his head and waved them off.

xxxx

"Did you tell Firouz about The Sea Maiden?" Bryn looked at Sinbad as she walked alongside him through town.

"Yes. He opted to stay with Velda for the day. I don't think he wants to let her out of his sight." Sinbad replied. He glanced at Bryn. "I don't blame him." He admitted to himself that there was more than one occasion that he had that same feeling about Bryn. The thought of Carthage came quickly to mind. They exchanged smiles and walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

Dermott was right. She was docked close to The Nomad. You had to pass The Nomad to get to the Sea Maiden. They stood in front of the wooden gangway leading towards the schooner. Both were curious about a sign tied onto the wooden post at the entrance.

"Walk-ins are welcome." Bryn read the print out loud. She looked uncertain of its meaning.

"For what?" Sinbad asked. He pointed at the smaller print and read it out loud. "Dr. Randall."

"Do you think he is holding a medical practice here? On this ship?" Bryn asked. "The bearded man, that is."

Sinbad didn't answer as they both heard voices coming from ship. They both looked head of them and saw a man tipping his hat off to another. Sinbad pulled her aside by the arm and whispered in her ear as the man walked past them. "Are you sure this is where Dermott saw the man from last night here at this ship?"

She nodded her head, "I am certain." She glanced over his shoulder and watched the man on board the ship walk towards the hatch that lead below deck. She got a glimpse of him before he turned his back to her. "He doesn't have a beard." She whispered back.

Sinbad let go of her and looked back towards The Sea Maiden. "He could very well have shaved it or he is not our guy. He could be one of his crew." He looked back at Bryn and saw a look he knew so well. "What are you thinking?"

"I want to talk to him." Bryn stated. She gave him a pitiful look. "I am not feeling well. I think I am coming down with something."

Sinbad laughed and crossed his arms amused. "Is that so?" He knew where she was going with this charade. "What are you going to say to Dr. Randall? That you're seasick?"

"Maybe he can prescribe me herbs for nausea. I don't know!" She dropped that answer with a wave of her right hand. "I do want to find out what his opinion is of the clinic in town and of Velda. Maybe he has an agenda. Maybe he is behind that letter the other morning." Bryn replied. She feigned a cough, which made him smile. She started to walk backwards down the gangway towards the ship as she spoke. "Wait for me?"

Sinbad shook his head seeing that she has already made up her mind. "Always", he said with a smile and a wink. As he watched her go, he walked off the dock to stand by a nearby tree, where he would be less noticed loitering about and still have a view of The Sea Maiden.

xxxx

"Sinbad!" Doubar noticed his brother. He was on his way to The Nomad and was surprised to see him there; leaning his back against a tree. "What are you doing over there?"

Doubar interrupted his thoughts. He was just thinking about their voyage to Carthage and was not looking forward to it. He's never been to a port so strict with paperwork and guards. He was concerned about Bryn being there. Carthage was not known for allowing women the same rights as men. It's been awhile since he's last docked there and decided, while in Baghdad, he needed to ask around the port to see if any sailors have been to Carthage recently. It would be smart to be prepared before stepping off his ship onto unfriendly territory.

He cleared his throat as his brother approached him. "I am waiting for Bryn." He nodded his head towards The Sea Maiden. Doubar looked in that direction, but he didn't understand. "She is getting a checkup." Sinbad managed to confuse his brother even more.

"Is she not feeling well?" A puzzled look was still on his face. "I just left Firouz and Velda in town five minutes ago. Who is she getting a checkup with?" Doubar stated a little irritated that his brother is being so vague.

"Possibly with the man who broke into Velda's clinic last night." Sinbad pointed towards The Sea Maiden. "Dermott followed him there."

"You sent Bryn in there?" Doubar asked surprised. "Don't tell me the bearded man is a doctor too."

Sinbad shook his head and answered his questions. "It was her idea. She wanted to ask him some questions. There's a sign near closer to the ship. He's a Dr. Randall to be exact."

"Well don't be telling Firouz about this. He is sure to be jealous if any one of us seek anyone else other than him and Velda for medical advice." Doubar joked as he stood next to Sinbad and stared at The Sea Maiden. "How long has she been in there?"

"Longer than I want her to be." Sinbad replied. He was just about to say he was planning on disrupting them, feigning his own sickness when he saw Dr. Randall opening the hatch and Bryn following after him. He gave a sigh of relief. "About time", he muttered under his breath. He turned towards Doubar to try and appear like he wasn't staring. From the corner of his eye he watched Dr. Randall shake Bryn's hand as he bid her farewell. She smiled at the physician and started to walk towards them.

Doubar elbowed his brother on the arm. "What were you so worried about? If she was in any trouble that thing on your wrist would be a beacon of bright light to a certain captain I know."

Sinbad shook his head. "I can't rely on that all the time."

Bryn stopped in front of them and spoke as she swept her hair away from her face as a breeze picked up. She looked at Sinbad. "He has nothing against Velda. He even expressed interest in working with her. I don't think it was him that broke into the clinic."

"Then it must be someone else on his ship; a crew member." Sinbad spoke. "We need to keep an eye on The Sea Maiden. Look out for a bearded man."

"That could be anyone!" Doubar exclaimed. "I've got a beard. I am innocent."

"Get Anders here. He is the only one who's seen him. He may recognize a build or clothing, perhaps." Sinbad stated. He glanced at Bryn. "If Dermott followed him here, and it's not Dr. Randall, one of his crew members was at the clinic last night." He watched both Doubar and Bryn nod their heads in agreement.


	8. Chapter 8

_**First, I want to say thank you to Winddance111 - I appreciate your review and support. I am sorry that it takes me forever to add to this story! I expected to be farther along with this. There is so much in my mind that I wish to type out. I hope you and any other readers are intrigued by my stories so far. **_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha. **

The deck of The Nomad was under the cover of night when Anders strolled upon a crate. He lightly kicked it with his boot. The person sitting on it opened her eyes and glared up at him. He was standing in front of her with a mug in each hand. He was holding one towards her for her to take.

"What are you doing?" Bryn asked as she sat up from reclining against a couple stacked wooden crates behind her. She accepted the mug and took a sniff of what was inside it.

"From the looks of it, I'm waking you." Anders responded.

"I wasn't asleep. I only shut my eyes for a moment." Bryn replied.

Anders took a sip of his drink. "Having your eyes shut isn't going to be very much help here, you know." He gestured for her to scoot over to make room for him on the stacked crates, and she did. "How did you get stuck with this job anyways?" He was ordered to keep an eye on The Sea Maiden; in hopes to see the clinic's intruder from last night. Luckily, The Nomad had a good vantage point to wait on. "I know why I am here but not sure about why you are. Not on good terms with the Captain?" He raised up a curious eyebrow.

"No. I am pretty sure we're on good terms. Don't you worry about that. Also, I didn't get stuck with it, I volunteered." She took a sip of her drink and immediately spit it back into the mug. She gave him a disgusted look. "What did you just give me?"

"Coffee!" Anders answered with a cheerful smile. "You don't like it?"

"It's awful!" She replied and laughed. "Did you just make this in the galley?"

"Yes. I've seen Firouz make it hundreds of times." Anders pointed out. "How could I have gotten it wrong?" He took another sip out of his own mug and tried to appear convincing. "It's not that bad." He watched her shake her head in disagreement. "Why would you volunteer for a stakeout? I would rather be at the local tavern with the rest of the crew."

"I thought you wanted company." Bryn answered. "Also, I've had my share of mingling with the locals at the tavern. I thought sitting on a The Nomad for the evening will be more relaxing and quieter"

"We have plenty of time on the water to do that. I will mingle! I like to mingle." Anders stated. "I feel like we are wasting our time here. With your eyes closed, our man may have walked right past you while I was below."

"You forget about Dermott." She raised her eyes upwards and spotted her falcon seated on the top mast. "He would have told me."

"How long do you think we have to wait here for him to come out from hiding?" Anders decided to stand up and lean his back against the rail, facing Bryn. "I'm not very patient."

"I am sensing that." Bryn smiled. "What were you doing near the clinic that night anyways when you saw that man? You left the party early."

"I was with…" He paused to think. "Amelia!"

Bryn was amused. "Are you sure that is her name?" She ignored the look he gave her. "Where were you going with Amelia?"

"The Nom.." Anders paused again. "She kept pulling me along away from the garden. She wanted to go to The Nomad, but I told her it wasn't a good idea." He quickly stated.

"Oh. I see." Bryn smiled. "Be careful around girls like that, they can be very persistent. You wouldn't be the first person to bring a guest on the ship."

"Have you ever brought anyone on the ship? Anyone persistent, as you call it?" Anders asked curious. He knew she'd understand his meaning.

"Are you kidding me?" Bryn shook her head. "I could only imagine how the crew would react to that. Also, I am not that kind of girl."

"Never attempted it, huh? The crew would understand a woman has needs too." Anders pointed out. He then shook his head, "Although. Sinbad would probably be seeing red once it dawned on him of this persistent guest of yours."

"Of mine? Don't be starting any rumors now, Anders. I wasn't the one running off at night in the middle of a party." Bryn gave him a stern look.

At that moment Anders heard voices behind him; multiple voices to be exact. He placed a silencing finger to his lips as he stepped away from the rail, to be hidden in the shadows.

"What is it?" Bryn whispered. "The Sea Maiden?"

Anders nodded his head and whispered a response. "There are four of them."

Bryn now heard the voices herself. She stood up next to him, to listen. They were all men. As they passed The Nomad, she could see that they didn't notice them. Their focus was ahead of them. They were walking and talking rather loudly amongst themselves.

"They are going to the tavern." Anders gathered from their boistering enthusiasm to get there.

Bryn placed a hand on his arm and made eye contact with him in the darkness. "Did you recognize the bearded man?"

"Yes. He's not so bearded anymore. He's the big guy walking with his hands in his pockets." Anders replied. "Let's wait a moment, give them some headway and we will follow them to the tavern. Perhaps you can get him to talk there."

"Me?" Bryn repeated. "Why me?"

"I don't think he is a fan of me. I didn't really make a good impression the first time." Anders answered. "Don't worry, the rest of the crew will be there if help is needed."

Bryn only nodded her head, not at all worried, but feeling a little irritated for being thrown in a situation she wasn't prepared for. "What would you have done if I never volunteered to help you, Anders?"

Anders shrugged. "Try to talk to him myself. With you here, I figured there would be less resistance if you approached him." He smiled. "Use your womanly charm."

All Bryn could do was stare at him unbelievingly._ My womanly charm?_ _I guess I have to do all the work. _She nodded her head again and turned around to walk off the ship. "We better get moving than."

Anders could sense something was wrong. "WHAT?!" He called out to her. From where he stood, he can see her shaking her head. She didn't respond as he caught up with her.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Slowly but surely...sorry guys! Enjoy!_ **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

Sinbad was standing at the bar of the tavern speaking with Burrell when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Rongar indicating that he should follow him. At that moment they all could hear a commotion coming from outside the tavern doors. Sinbad and Burrell exchanged unsure looks before following Rongar. When they stepped outside there was a crowd. Sinbad shouldered his way through to see what has gotten everyone's attentions. _Firouz? _He heard the voice of his friend before he spotted him. He finally made it through the gathering of people. Right in the middle of the crowd stood Firouz and a man he was not familiar with. Velda was near, appearing to be in distress. He turned and looked at the unknown man as the stranger spoke to the crowd.

"All you people are fools! Foolish to trust this woman with your life!" He pointed at Velda and stared at her with anger.

Sinbad saw the man stagger. He was definitely well in his cups. _He's drunk_, he concluded. He walked among the crowd to stand behind Firouz.

"Todd, it would be best if you just go home! It seems now is not a good time to have **_civil_** conversation with you. You're drunk." Firouz tried to coax the man to calm down. His patience growing thin. As he got close to him, Todd lunged forward and pushed him away. Velda let out a startled cry at his abrupt action. Firouz took a quick glance behind him and saw that he collided with Sinbad. He nodded his head to him as a silent apology. This was not going as he planned.

"You do not tell me what to do!" Todd yelled. "You are all fools!" He looked again at the crowd. He then turned to Velda and spat at her shoes. "Do this city a favor and go away. Leave with that man of yours you hide behind!" He started to stagger away and continued to mumble something before he said more to himself, "She will kill all your babies."

Velda covered her face with her hands and shook her head at the scene. She felt an arm lay on her shoulder and knew who it was before looking. "Oh, Firouz!" She turned and nestled her face against his neck.

"All of you please go back inside!" Burrell spoke to the crow and waved them away. "Pay no mind to what you've heard. We all know why Todd Lawrence is upset. He has chosen to drown his sorrows in his cups." The crowd started to move and you could hear them speak quietly amongst themselves.

Doubar must have been among the crowd as well, he strode up next to them and looked at Burrell. "I will go after him. Make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble." Just as he was about to walk off, Burrell spoke up again.

"Let him go." Burrell held out stopping hand. "He won't bother anyone. He's done this before. I will seek him out tomorrow, when he's calm down and sober to talk." He then spoke quietly as if it was to himself. "I didn't think this would be a problem anymore."

Sinbad made eye contact with Velda and looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Still with Firouz's arm around her shoulder, Velda put on a brave face. "I will be. Thank you, Captain Sinbad. It's just hard to hear those words. It's quite embarrassing."

"Words that I hope you have ignored and will be ignoring." Burrell looked at her as well. "This city does trust you, Velda. Do not lose confidence in that. Neither them or I have forgotten all the good you've done for this city."

Velda nodded her head and forced a smile on her face. "Thank you, Burrell. That means a lot to me." She watched him nod his head and turn to go back into the tavern. She then looked to the crew. "I hope this didn't ruin the evening. Shall we head back inside too?"

"Only if you feel up to it, Velda." Firouz stated.

"Yes! Definitely." She just wanted to get past this. Burrell was right. This was not the first time this sort of thing has happened since that tragedy. She has witnessed the uncomfortable stares and heard the whispers regarding her medical knowledge. For some miracle, the people of Scroff still knocked on the door of her clinic to seek her help and advice.

"That's what I want to hear!" Doubar exclaimed with a big smile. "I know there is a mug in there with your name on it lass!"

"Great!" Sinbad smiled and gestured for his crew and Velda to lead the way. He was just about to follow when he saw movement in distance. The shadow from the trees made it difficult for him to see who they were, but once they stepped out into the moonlight, he recognized two of his crewmembers making their way towards the tavern.

"Sinbad! Come on!" Doubar was holding the tavern door open for him.

"I will be right there." Sinbad called back. "Save me a seat." Doubar nodded his head and continued on inside.

xxxx

Anders spoke before Sinbad could say a word. "He is here. He came from The Sea Maiden with a group of other guys; the rest of the crew. We followed him here and we weren't far behind. They must have just entered." He aimed to walk past Sinbad but was stopped by a hand to his chest.

"Slow down a minute." Sinbad instructed before resting his hands on his hips. There was no way he would have been able to notice a group of men enter with the crowd that was just outside. He looked at Anders and then to Bryn. "What happened back there?"

Bryn answered his question, "Nothing. We saw him and we just followed."

Sinbad looked at Anders. "Did the bearded man recognize you? Did you speak with him?"

Anders shook his head. "No. He's shaved his beard by the way. I also thought it would be best if Bryn approached him first instead of me. I don't think he would be that pleased to see me considering the last time we met."

Sinbad looked from Anders to Bryn again. She did not look enthused about the idea, but she nodded her head in agreement. "Bryn?"

"He's right." Bryn replied. "Maybe I can get him to talk. See why he broke into the clinic. See if he is involved with that letter."

"I think we are all starting to get an idea of who it may have been." Sinbad stated. His thoughts went to Todd. He saw both Anders and Bryn appear confused. "There was a bit of a situation with Todd Lawrence moments ago. He caused somewhat of a scene with Velda."

"What happened?" Bryn asked concerned. "Is Velda all right?"

"She is fine." Sinbad quickly stated. "Todd was very outspoken. He had too much to drink and it wasn't the first time." He gestured towards the road. "He's left already." He looked at Anders and got back to the other topic at hand. "It's probably best that you keep your back to that new friend of yours as Bryn speaks to him."

"My thoughts exactly." Anders gestured for Bryn to walk ahead of him. "Ladies first! Oh and try to be charming!"

Bryn rolled her eyes at the last comment. Eager to get this over with.

"Just not too charming." Sinbad said under his breath as she made her way to the entrance. He and Anders followed.


	10. Chapter 10

_**I apologize if it seems as if I disappeared - I assure you, I have not given up on this story. I did disappear for a vacation to New England. How I wish I was still back there, but instead also with my laptop so I could have written during some of the downtime (the few I had). Traveling always gets me in the mood to write. I find these little places that awaken the muse inside of me...**_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

When Bryn entered the tavern, she did not see the man she was looking for right away. As she scanned the room, she found a space for herself to stand at the bar to keep a lookout. From where she stood she could see where the crew was sitting. They were among the three long tables in the center of the room. Doubar saw her just at the same time she did them and gestured for her to come over with a wave of his hand. She only smiled and shook her head slightly. She saw confusion in his eyes and saw his eyes look past her. Over her shoulder she could see Anders and Sinbad were about to walk by her to get to the crew's table. Anders paused long enough to tell her that she should look upstairs. She nodded her head in understanding as he continued to walk ahead. She forgot about upstairs. The last time she was at the tavern, it was not open to the public. Another level was just above the bar of where she sat that looped around the room. A small bar was stationed above the entrance. As she looked up, she saw that only a few people congregated there.

"Would you care for a drink, miss?" The bartender in front of her captured her attention.

Bryn felt bad that she was taking up a space at the bar empty handed. She ordered something she could finish quickly; a shot of whiskey. As she placed the empty glass back onto the counter she could feel the cool, smooth sting of the drink coating her throat and warm her belly. She smiled at the bartender and pushed herself away from the bar to find the stairwell that would take her upstairs. _It's time to get this over with_, she thought.

xxxx

Doubar watched his brother's blues eyes follow Bryn upstairs. He knew what was going through his mind. He knew Sinbad would rather be by her side than at their table at this moment. He looked at Anders and saw his eyes following Bryn as well. He spoke to the table. "Do you guys think she will get anything out of this guy?"

Firouz shrugged, "She's pretty easy to talk to." He glanced at Sinbad to see if he would say anything. All he got was a nod in agreement. He sensed that his Captain was not in a very good mood.

Velda glanced at the quiet table and frowned. "I am sorry that all this is happening. Look at all of you. How can you enjoy the evening with my problems on your shoulders?"

"You're problem is my problem, Velda." Firouz stated. "You know I always want to help. I am here for you."

"Our problem." Sinbad smiled with that correction.

Velda felt touched. She was surrounded by very well company. "You guys are amazing."

Doubar laughed. "We've been called worst things, Lass. I like the sound of 'amazing'."

xxxx

As Bryn reached the top of the landing, the space upstairs was bigger than she expected. Along the back wall there were high tables and high chairs to sit at. She scanned the area and found The Sea Maiden's crew standing at the bar.

"Bryn!" Over here!"

Bryn turned her head towards a familiar voice. She recognized the face as well. She greeted him with a smile as she approached his table. "Hello, Thayer."

Thayer patted an empty seat next to him. "Sit and keep me company for a while."

Bryn was about to decline but soon realized Thayer could be of some help to her. As she pulled out the wooden chair in front of her to take a seat, Thayer mentioned that he saw members of her crew downstairs earlier. He wondered what she was doing upstairs. "I am actually looking for someone." She glanced towards the bar.

Thayer held out his arms to present himself. He gave her a cheeky smile. "Well, you've found him!" He joked with a wink. He was pleased to see her smile. He noticed a serving maid not too far from their table and caught her attention with a raise of his hand. "What would you like to drink?"

Bryn held out a hand to stop him but as soon as serving maid showed up, he ordered them each a round of sweet red wine. She took in a breath when she saw that she was too late to speak up. "You didn't have to do that." She watched the serving maid walk away. _At least it's not ale. _She wasn't feeling very thirsty at all. "Thank you anyway."

"My pleasure." Thayer replied. He noticed her glance towards the bar again. "Who were you looking for exactly?"

Bryn gave a small laugh at how she was going to answer this before replying. "I actually don't know his name." She paused as she gathered her thoughts. "Perhaps you can help me?"

Thayer was intrigued and a smile formed on his lips. "Who is the lucky man that caught your attention? If I know him, I would be more than happy to make introduction. Although, naturally, I am disappointed that he is not the man sitting in front of you right now." He joked.

"It's not like that." Bryn laughed. "See that group of men over there? They work on a ship called The Sea Maiden. Anders saw one of them at the clinic that night of the fire. He broke into the clinic and ran off before we could question him."

"There has been some talk in town about Velda having trouble with the Lawrence's." Thayer commented. "I thought all that died down awhile back."

"Lawrence's?" Bryn repeated. "All I know of is Todd and his wife; who seems to keep to herself."

"One of those men is Todd Lawrence's little brother." Thayer pointed out. "Theo Lawrence. The big one, actually."

Just as Bryn looked to the bar again, she saw Theo stand up. He was just having a conversation with the bartender. Something the bartender told him made him finish his drink fast. She watched Theo walked towards a door at the back of the room. He opened it and she saw that it was a door that led outside. As the door slowly started to close she saw a glimpse of Theo go down the wooden staircase. "Where do you think his is going?"

"My guess is to visit Todd. The bartender must have just told him of the scene Todd displayed earlier. He certainly did not leave in the best of moods." Thayer replied. He watched Bryn stand up. "Where are you going?"

"I still need to speak with him." Bryn answered. "I will be right back." She was not going to lose him this time. She quickened her pace to the door and pushed it open. At the top of the stairwell, she could see Theo only a short distance away. She bolted down the stairs to catch up with him.

_This could be awkward. _She thought as she got closer. _I didn't really think this through. _She knew she needed to get his attention. "Theo! Wait up!"

Theo turned at the call of his name. The person, a woman walking towards him, wasn't someone he knew. As she got closer, he knew that he's seen her before within the city these past few days; a traveler. "Yes?"

xxxx

Doubar placed a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder as he stood next to him at the bar. The hour was growing late and he came to let him know that Firouz, Velda, Anders and Rongar have decided to walk back to her house. "Everyone has had their fill of ale and wine. Looks like Velda is about to pass out." He chuckled at the idea. "Any sign of our Bryn?"

Sinbad gave a heavy sigh before responding. "I was told by Thayer, the bladesmith, she went outside to speak with Theo."

"Now who's Theo?" Doubar's brow winkled in confusion.

Sinbad answered his question with a gestured hand, "Anders' friend, the bearded man."

Doubar sensed there was something wrong. There was a hint of irritation coming from that statement. "What is bothering you, Sinbad?"

"If Anders had a problem with speaking with the bearded…Theo; he should have said something in the first place instead of throw someone else into it." Sinbad spoke in a hushed tone. "He should have followed through."

"I am sure he didn't think about it at the time he was assigned to the task." Doubar stated. "I don't see him handing off his duties while we are on the ship. He may have seen a better way to handle Theo as soon as Bryn joined him on The Nomad." He saw Sinbad slightly shake his head. There was something else on his mind. "What now?"

Sinbad took a last swig of his ale to empty it before replying. He chose to let it go. "It's nothing." He nodded his head towards the door, knowing his crew were on the other side of it waiting. "You go ahead. I will follow soon with Bryn."

Doubar nodded his head and gave Sinbad a firm pat on his back. He turned to the door and paused. Bryn just entered. "Soon has turned into now, Sinbad. Here she comes."

Sinbad turned his head and saw Bryn walking towards them. She appeared fine. She looked at him and Doubar apologetically.

"I am sorry that took longer than expected." Bryn said to both of them. "Velda and the rest of the guys are just leaving for the house." She gestured over her shoulder.

"You were gone for a while. How did it go?" Sinbad placed a hand on her arm. "You okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded her head. "We talked for some time. The bearded man, his name is Theo. He is brothers with Todd." She explained.

"He must be in on it to make Velda's life hell than." Doubar stated with a shake of his head.

"Yes and no." Bryn replied. "He knows what Todd is doing is wrong and is quite ashamed of it. He wants Todd to move on as much as anyone else in this town, but is unsure how to do it. Todd has seen some dark days these past few months. He lost his baby and lost his wife. He is miserable."

"Misery loves company." Doubar pointed out.

"His wife?" Sinbad repeated. "What happened to his wife?"

"She left him." Bryn answered. "A week ago. " She saw realization on both of their faces.

"This is why he's been acting up. Burrell said he thought Todd was doing better since the lost of his baby this past month. Now that his wife left him, it's has brought him to this state of hate and misery." Doubar relayed. He looked at Sinbad. "What now?"

Bryn answered quickly. "I want to talk to Todd. Help him."

"Burrell is going to pay him a visit tomorrow morning. Do you think it would be a good idea for you to go with him?" Sinbad asked.

"Yes, I think so. Theo will be there. He is there now." Bryn nodded her head. "I think with Theo's presence, the conversation will go smoother."

xxxx

In the middle of the night, Velda reach out a hand and hesitated outside one of her guest room's doorway. _This is silly. _She shook her head and convinced herself that it was nothing, but had to be certain that was true. She knocked on the door gently. "Firouz." No one answered. She turned the handle and peaked in. The first sound she heard was shallow breathing and heavy snoring coming from Doubar. The moonlight gave her enough visibility to tip toe her way over to Firouz's bed. She placed a hand on his arm and gently shook him awake. "Firouz," she said in a whisper.

Firouz mumbled incoherently as he woke. He heard Velda's voice again and immediately opened up his eyes. He slowly sat up as he spoke quietly. "Velda? What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"I thought I heard something outside." Velda grabbed a hold of his arm. She felt Firouz slowly swing his feet off the bed to rise. As he stood up, she still held onto his arm. "I wanted you to look with me." Velda whispered. "I am worried someone is trying to get in."

Firouz nodded his head and they both exited the guest room quietly, to not disturb Doubar. The house was quiet and the tile on his feet felt cool, which helped him as he tried to wake his mind up from sleep. He heard a scratch from a match that soon illuminated the room. Velda stood with a lamp in hand, peering out a window.

"Oh, Firouz!" Velda exclaimed. "I was so sure I heard someone. It could have just been the wind!"

"If it was someone, you may have deterred them away with that lamp." Firouz replied. He looked out a different window and saw no movement. Although, he knew there was a chance someone could be out there. Bryn had the same feeling the first night they stayed. The morning following that, a disturbing note was placed on Velda's entrance.

"I am sorry to have woken you over nothing, it seems." Velda shrugged. "I guess I am a little jumpy. It is silly really." She shook her head with a sigh.

Firouz strode over to hear and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "No, Velda. It is not silly. You have every right to feel nervous, considering your week. I am just glad we are here to help you during this time."

An idea came to Velda's mind. She stood in silence for a moment unsure if she could voice it. A battle was going on in her mind on whether or not she should. "Firouz?" She said softly. He looked at her waiting for her to continue. "Will you stay with me tonight? Sleep in my room, that is." She said shyly. "It would really help me get some sleep. Help my nerves. "

"Yes." Firouz answered in one word. "Let's go to bed."

Velda smiled and nodded her head as she took a hold of his hand. "Thank you."

"I do have an elixir that might help with sleep." Firouz stated out loud. "Would you like some?"

Velda shook her head. "No. I think company will be my medicine for tonight. Please, don't bother with the elixir."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello everyone! What do you think so far? Hope you enjoy this chapter. More to come very soon! Thank you for reading.**_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

Firouz dared not to move as he listened to the sound of Velda's steady breaths as she slept. She was nestled against him with her head resting on his chest. As he glanced down at her, all he could see was a mess of red hair. He smiled as he thought about the night before. They talked and talked about each other's very different lives, shared stories of their days, and reminisced about the past when they worked together before he joined Sinbad's crew. He didn't know what time it was when they finally fell asleep; but knew that it was late.

He also knew that it was a new day, late into the morning. He could see the morning sun seeping its way through Velda's closed drapes. His body tensed as he heard his fellow crew members downstairs. Knowing them, they were up and about starting breakfast. Doubar's laughter thundered through the wooden floorboards and Firouz was sure he heard Velda's wooden chairs being shuffled about. Firouz glanced back down at Velda and thought that it was a wonder that all the noise downstairs didn't stir her awake. He debated on waking her for breakfast or letting her sleep. He decided on the latter, knowing she needed her rest. She said she hasn't been sleeping very well these past few days. Which, bothered him greatly. Either way, he needed to get up. Nature was most definitely calling. He shifted slightly and was pleased when Velda adjusted her form slightly to allow him to get up. Her eyes remained closed as she turned over in her sleep. _She is a cute one. _Firouz thought as he gazed down at her and watched her sleep for a moment. He knew he shouldn't linger. He slowly walked towards the door to enter the hall with the thought of facing the crew on his mind; realizing this situation is something new they could have fun with. _Damn. _

xxxx

Firouz entered the dining room that was filled with conversation. He saw an empty seat next to Bryn and claimed it. As he pulled out the chair quietly he felt all eyes on him.

"Firouz!" Doubar exclaimed. "We didn't know you were still here. We thought you and Velda went into town this morning."

"No." Firouz cleared his throat. "We slept in. She is still asleep upstairs." He did not miss Doubar's raised eyebrows and the look he shared with Rongar and Anders.

"I hope we weren't too loud." Bryn stated before putting a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth.

Firouz smiled. Bryn always knew how to conceal any surprise from her features if needed. "Not loud enough it seems. She's passed out. She must be a deep sleeper." He accepted the bowl of oatmeal Rongar passed to him and noticed someone was missing. "Where's Sinbad?"

Anders gestured towards the entrance. "He is outside speaking with Burrell. They've been out there for a while."

"Oh, okay." Firouz replied. He wondered what they were talking about. Most of all, wondered if it was about that drunken Todd from last night.

"Firouz." Doubar got his friend's attention. "Just so you know, we need to sail in a couple days to meet our shipment."

Firouz nodded his head, appreciating the fact that Doubar chose to not question him about last night right now. "I know. Sinbad told me yesterday."

"Does Velda know?" Bryn asked.

"Not yet. I will tell her today." Firouz answered. He saw sympathy in Bryn's eyes. She understood that it was not going to be easy. He knew that was the one thing they did not talk about the night before that he knew he should have mentioned. He didn't even want to think about it at that moment. As much as he wanted to be back on The Nomad at sea, he didn't look forward to saying goodbye again to the woman he cared for very much upstairs.

xxxx

"One other thing, Sinbad, do come to the house before you set sail. I have the paper work needed for my nephew's transport to Carthage. I know anywhere else such paperwork wouldn't be needed. I apologize for the inconvenience." Burrell spoke as he mounted his horse.

"I understand." Sinbad replied. "Trust me when I say, there aren't many merchant sailors fond of the way business is done there."

Burrell smiled at the sailor's lack of enthusiasm. "I thank you and appreciate your help in this matter. My sister thanks you too." He shifted on his horse for a comfortable seat. "I must go. I've got other business to attend to. Please see that Velda gets my message."

"Will do." Sinbad replied. He watched Burrell tip his head farewell as he rode off into town.

xxxx

When Sinbad re-entered the house, Velda was just entering her kitchen. He was surprised to see her as he approached the dining room. "I thought you were at the clinic this morning." He gestured over his shoulder at the entrance. "Burrell just left."

"Oh! I slept in." Velda replied. "I am sorry I missed him." She opened up her cupboard to reach for a mug.

"_They_ slept in." Doubar pointed out from the table between bites of his own breakfast.

Sinbad looked at his brother, who he noticed immediately winced from a kick that was given under the table by either Anders or Rongar. He then glanced at Firouz; who he noticed remained silent and kept his eyes downward towards his bowl.

Velda smiled and ignored Doubar's clarification. She knew exactly what he was doing. "What was it that Burrell needed, Captain Sinbad?"

Sinbad stood next to Velda and placed a hand on the counter as he faced her. "Burrell came to tell you that Todd is leaving this morning. He is preparing to go as we speak and may already be gone."

Velda placed her mug onto the counter. "What? He is leaving Scroff?" She looked more upset than pleased with the news.

Firouz looked up from his bowl and placed his spoon down to stand up next to Velda. "What happened?" He asked Sinbad.

"Burrell already spoke with Todd this morning and told him that his behavior could not go on." Sinbad replied. "He has made arrangements for a ship to take him."

Velda shook her head. "No, this is not right. I never wanted him to be…banned from the city for my sake. This is dreadful!"

Sinbad realized he wasn't clear. "No, Burrell convinced him to find his wife. She left on a ship a week ago. The very same one he will board this morning. He is not banned from the city. He means to bring her back, if she wanted to, and to start over."

"She left him?" Velda repeated. "I had no idea." She leaned her back against the counter with her eyes fixated on her wooden floorboards with thought.

"That is good news, right?" Doubar asked. "If his wife comes back with him, surely, he will be in a better state of mind. Perhaps he will find it in his heart to move on."

"That sounds like that is what he decided to do already." Anders commented.

"What about Theo?" Bryn asked from her seat.

Sinbad looked at her and answered. "He is going with him for support."

Firouz placed an arm over Velda's shoulder and gave her a squeeze. "It sounds grand, don't you think? Sounds like Todd won't be a bother when or if he comes back to Scroff with his wife."

"Maybe the time away will be good for him." Sinbad said to the room.

Velda finally nodded her head. "Yes, you are all right. It will get better." She looked up at Firouz and smiled.

xxxx

Two days flew by just as he expected it to. It was the morning that he was going to leave the port of Scroff and in just a couple hours he had to say another goodbye. He knew it was inevitable. Firouz looked down at the mess of red hair atop his chest. Velda laid there fast asleep. She welcomed him to her room these last couple of nights. Only this time it wasn't because it was from difficulty sleeping, it was because she wanted to be near him as long as she can. He smiled as his mind went to the evening she told him that. A blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks when she finally looked at him after doing so. A soft sound coming from Velda's lips disrupted his thoughts. He felt her stir and saw her look up at him with a smile.

"Good morning, Firouz." Velda spoke quietly. She moved to sit up, self-consciously touching her hair, well aware that Firouz was staring and has not yet spoken. "Are you alright?"

Firouz shook his head from his reverie. He was caught up in the thought of being in Velda's presence in such an intimate setting. He never thought he would be so lucky enough to see her in this way. "I am so sorry. You are just so beautiful. I couldn't help but stare. You are probably the only person who has rendered me speechless." He smiled as his eyes went to the strap of her night dress that hung loose over her shoulder. He slowly reached out to put it back up in its place.

"Oh, Firouz." Velda could feel tears welling up inside her. She felt so sad and happy at the same time. She leaned forward to kiss him and he met her halfway. This was a side of Firouz she's never seen before.

xxxx

"You seem to be in a good mood, Sinbad." Doubar spoke to his brother as they both walked down the gangway towards The Nomad. Between them, they carried a barrel of fresh water for their voyage.

"I am looking forward to being back at sea." Sinbad replied. "Is that alright with you?" He joked. Once they reached the ship, they handed the barrel over the rail to Rongar and Anders. "That's the last barrel of water." He informed them as he stepped up onto his ship. He brushed his hands together to sweep off any sand from the barrels.

Doubar smiled. "It is definitely alright with me. It's good to see you in high spirits. You might want to just tone it down a little once Firouz gets on board. We all should actually."

"Is it radiating off of me that much?" Sinbad joked with a smile. He quickly changed his demeanor at the look Doubar gave him and spoke more seriously. He knew what his brother was thinking. "I am well aware Firouz will be down as we sail off. Like last time, he will come around in a couple days and will be back to his usual self."

"Sinbad, I don't think this will be like last time. This time I think it will be very different for him." Doubar replied. "It just might be hardier. Perhaps we should all go easy on him."

"We? You, out of this crew, are notorious for giving him a hard time." Sinbad laughed lightly with a point in his direction. "Sounds like you are talking to yourself, little brother."

"I know. I may go overboard with the teasing." Doubar sighed. "He understands it is all just a little fun." He pondered for a moment in silence. "I just hate to see him down. He is so happy with Velda."

Sinbad gave his brother a slap on the back before he spoke. "Why do you think I gave him the last two days off from preparing the ship?"

Doubar smiled and placed a heavy pat on Sinbad's back in return, "Because deep down you're a big softy."

"It must run in the family." Sinbad stated with a smile. "Let's keep this to ourselves shall we?"


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.**

Bryn was walking towards the harbor at a fast pace when Anders spotted her. He knew where she was going. He was on his way to The Nomad as well. "Bryn! Wait up!" He watched her turn to the sound of her name. "I will walk with you."

"Anders, I thought you would be at The Nomad by now." Bryn pointed out as his steps lined up with hers.

"There was an errand I had and I was held up." Anders stated. He tilted his head towards her with a glance. "Now where are you coming from? Shouldn't you be at ship as well?"

"I visited Thayer's shop this morning." Bryn replied. She noticed his raised eyes brows and spoke quickly. "It was overdue. I said I would visit days ago! Also, I wanted to say goodbye."

"I am sure he gave you the grand tour. "Anders wiggled his eye brows up in down to tease. "Perhaps, you two find a way to pass the time in the back?"

"I think you are hanging around Doubar way too much." Bryn laughed. She looked at him giving her a cheeky smile. "Stop it!" She exclaimed. She gave him a slight shove with her left arm when he wouldn't stop with the eyebrows. "It's not like that!"

Anders laughed as he stumbled to the left. "Alright! I believe you." He feigned an exasperated sigh. "No fun for Bryn."

"Was Amelia upset when you said your goodbyes?" Bryn changed the ridiculous subject. It was her turn to give him a sideways glance.

Anders mouth gaped for a moment. "How did you know I was with her?"

Bryn nodded towards his waist. "You seem to have missed some buttons on your pants. I am sure you two didn't have any problems finding something to do to pass the time."

"Oh." Anders immediately looked down and adjusted his mistake. He couldn't hide the color that rose to his cheeks. He laughed at his circumstance. "Touché! Glad you noticed before we got on the ship. Thank you." They both exchanged laughs.

xxxx

Sinbad was on the deck of The Nomad when he saw Bryn and Anders finally come aboard. They were the last two crewmembers he was waiting for. He was anxious to leave port for Firouz's sake. He knew it would be better to get it over with soon. He turned to Rongar and Doubar, and gestured for them to throw in the lines. As they hurried to do that task, Sinbad approached Firouz and gave his friend a pat on the back. "We will be back in Scroff soon, Firouz."

Firouz looked up at Sinbad and forced himself to smile. He gave out a heavy sigh. "I know. This is just always the hard part, saying good bye. " He glanced at the shore that they were slowing pushing away from. He stood silent with his own thoughts and shook his head. "I am sorry. I need to go below for a bit." He couldn't watch them move any farther away from Scroff, farther away from Velda to be exact.

"Go for it. We are all set up here." Sinbad assured him. He watched Firouz nod his head in silence and walk away to go below deck. Sinbad knew he would go straight to his own cabin. He sighed knowing there was nothing he could do to help his friend at the moment. Space and privacy is probably just what he seeks and needed.

He heard soft footsteps walking towards him from behind. He knew who it was before he saw her stand next to him. He placed both hands at the rail and looked out towards the shore. He felt a hand cover one of his. In return, he opened up his palm to hold on to her hand. He looked down and watch his own thumb caress Bryn's hand.

"Did Velda not come to say good bye?" Bryn asked. From a distance, she and the crew, watched Firouz go below deck with his head down; obviously in no mood to talk.

"Firouz said it was easier for both of them to say good bye at the house." Sinbad answered. "She was sorry that she couldn't come and wished us all a safe journey." He made eye contact with her and saw concern in her brown eyes. "I think he just wants to be alone right now."

"I see." Bryn nodded her head in understanding. She looked out towards the shore. "Firouz will be alright. It will just take some time."

"I have never seen him like this. He couldn't even stand to see us sail away from Scroff". Sinbad stated. "I hope you are right." He glanced at her and smiled. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. Telling himself he was lucky to have her on the ship.

Bryn returned his smile and was curious about what he was thinking about at that very moment. "What is it?"

"I am just happy you are here, Bryn." Sinbad stated. He dropped his hand and winked at her before turning towards the tiller. _I am just happy you are here? _He chastised himself as he walked away. He couldn't say what he was really thinking about and felt what he chose to say instead was weak.

xxxx

Day quickly turned into night. The crew just finished eating their dinner and was starting to disperse to their own cabins for some sleep. The only ones left sitting at the long wooden table of the galley was Firouz, Doubar and Rongar.

Doubar pointed at Firouz's plate. "You barely touched it."

"My appetite is not with me tonight. You can have it." Firouz pushed his partially eaten plate towards his friend. "It would be a shame for it to go to waste."

At that moment Rongar stood up from the table and waved them all good night. He was ready to retire for the night.

"Sleep well, Rongar." Firouz called out to the Moore. Rongar smiled and shut the galley door behind him as he left.

The galley was silent for a few breathes. Firouz watched Doubar as he ate. "I am in love with her." He said abruptly, breaking the silence.

Doubar swallowed his bite and took a gulp of the water near his plate. He was surprised by what he just heard. "That is great, Firouz! Really!" He gave Firouz a slap on the back and a wide smile. "Did you tell her? Does she feel the same way?"

Firouz smiled for the first time since he got on board. "I don't know. No, I didn't tell her." Some part of him felt that she did feel the same. "I haven't told anyone but you really."

"Now that makes me feel special." Doubar gave out a chuckle. "You should tell her and not me you fool!"

Firouz concentrated on the table for a moment before raising his eyes back to Doubar. "I will. I don't care if she doesn't feel the same way. You are right. She should know."

"Oh, I am sure she does." Doubar replied. "I have no doubts!" He was happy for his friend. He noticed that Firouz agreed with him saying so. It was good to see his friend smiling. He was worried this morning about him, but realized it was all for nothing.

xxxx

"He was perfectly fine last night after dinner!" Doubar roughly stated to Anders. "What do you mean you may have said something to upset him?" By next morning, Doubar noticed Firouz's mood was very different since the last time he saw him. Today he was keeping to himself, concentrating on his duties with nearly a word to anyone else. It was not his character to not speak to the crew. Doubar quietly approached the crew to see what he may have missed.

Anders sighed and gestured towards Rongar, who was standing next to Sinbad at the tiller. "I overheard Firouz talking about his feelings towards Velda and I intruded on their conversation." He shook his head at his actions. "I should have just held my tongue."

Doubar was starting to become impatient. "Well? Out with it. What did you say?"

"A simple question." Anders replied. "I asked him what he is going to do after he tells Velda how he feels. Will he leave The Nomad?"

Doubar frowned. He didn't think of that. "What did he say?"

"He didn't have an answer." Anders informed him.

xxxx

As Bryn stepped onto the deck, she raised her head up to admire the blue sky. She could not see one cloud. A cool breeze touched her skin and she loved it. It felt good to be back out in the open sea. It felt good to be back on the ship. She spotted Sinbad and Rongar at the tiller and made her way to say to good morning.

"How was your first night back on The Nomad?" Sinbad asked her with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. It was very peaceful." Bryn replied. "It was nice to be back in my own room. Although, I admit, Velda's bed was much more comfortable." She saw Rongar nod his head in agreement.

"We should look into getting you a new down blanket for your own." Sinbad replied. "In Basra, there will be plentiful to choose from."

"Is that where we are going now?" Bryn questioned.

"Yes, then to Baghdad and onto Carthage for a quick stop." Sinbad informed both Rongar and Bryn.

All three looked above them after Dermott got their attention with a couple loud chirps. He was flying around the ship. Bryn smiled up at him. "He is excited to go to Baghdad."

"That makes both of us." Sinbad stated. Familiar land and familiar faces were ahead of them. Basra and Baghdad were two of their main ports for cargo. He was ready to get back to work.

**xxxx**

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. Look out for the next story to follow Scroff. **


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